Had an old crown removed, tooth reshaped and new crown put. Now am in pain – toothache, headache, ear ache down to my shoulders. Ibuprofen 400mg does the trick but what is going on? The pain started a week ago when the temporary was put in and is continuing today after my permanent was put in. Tried telling the dentist, but he insists it is sensitivity and nothing else. What do you think? Do new crowns take a while to settle in and do they cause pain in the beginning?
It can take up to several weeks for the tooth to recover from the trauma of having an old crown removed, the tooth reshaped and a new crown placed. If Ibuprofen is doing the trick you probably will not need any further treatment. If however the pain increases then return to the dentist and have an x-ray taken to check there is no abcess.
In my experience with a crown, this is normal. It might have to be “ground down” a little so it is not getting direct, biting pressure (you know, that paper they stick in your mouth and tell you to grind your teeth for a second to see how the new work is hitting the tooth on the opposite side of your mouth). I had mild pain for a long time and eventually had to get a root canal in the same tooth where the crown had been put earlier.
It really depends. If you haven’t had a root canal done, then maybe that’s what you need because a pulp could be exposed. Also, it could be that the crown is high and needs to be adjusted. It’s normal to have sensitivity for about a week after having a new crown placed but if it’s longer you should go back to your dentist and get it checked out.