What To Do With Tooth Sensitivity After Crown?
It’s totally normal to feel a bit of tooth sensitivity after getting a dental crown placement. It’s pretty common to feel a bit different as your mouth adjusts to the new permanent crown. Permanent crowns are crafted dental caps designed to cover and safeguard your damaged or weakened teeth.
Here are some tips to help you handle sensitivity:
- Over-the-Counter Pain Relief:
- Pain relievers: If you’re feeling uncomfortable, medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be a great way to find some relief.
- Desensitizing toothpaste: If you’re dealing with tooth sensitivity, using a toothpaste made just for that can really help. Try to find options that have ingredients like potassium nitrate or fluoride.
- Avoid Irritants:
- Sticky foods or acidic foods: These might cause a little irritation in that sensitive area.
- Extreme temperature: Try to avoid very hot or very cold foods and drinks, as they can cause sharp pain.
- Hard foods: Try to avoid chomping down on hard things like nuts or ice.
- Practice Good Oral Hygiene:
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- Gentle brushing: Try using a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush in gentle circular motions as part of your oral hygiene routines.
- Flossing: Make sure to floss every day. It helps get rid of plaque and any leftover food bits that might be stuck between your natural teeth.
- Mouthwash: Use a fluoride mouthwash to help strengthen your tooth enamel and keep your oral health in good condition.
When to Seek Professional Help?
It’s completely normal to feel a bit of sensitivity from time to time, but if you’re dealing with ongoing or severe pain, it’s definitely a good idea to check in with your dentist. It might be an underlying issue that needs a closer look, such as:
- Incorrect crown fit: If your crown doesn’t fit quite right, it might lead to some discomfort or sensitivity.
- Nerve irritation: Every now and then, the nerve under your crown might feel a bit irritated.
- Gum irritation: It’s possible that the gums around your crown might be a bit swollen or even infected.
If you notice any of these signs, it’s a good idea to check in with your dentist:
- Severe pain
- Persistent sensitivity
- Swelling or redness
- Pus or discharge
Feel free to chat with your dentist about any concerns you might have. They’re there to help and can take a look at things to make sure you get the right dental care.
What Causes Tooth Sensitivity After Crowns?
It’s common to experience some tooth sensitivity after getting dental crowns. This can happen because the middle layer of your tooth, called dentin, might get exposed during the process of an artificial crown.
Dentin is protected by a layer of tooth enamel, which helps shield it from sensations like hot and cold temperatures or mechanical pressure. But when the enamel wears away, it exposes countless tiny channels in the dentin, known as dentinal tubules. These little pathways can respond to a variety of different triggers.
When the temperature or pressure around your teeth changes, the fluid inside tiny tubules moves right to the center of your tooth, which is called the pulp. It’s this pressure on those nerves that leads to that uncomfortable feeling we call tooth sensitivity, or dentin hypersensitivity.
There are several ways can make your teeth more sensitive, such as:
- Cement from the crown: Some types of cement that dentists use to bond crowns can change the pressure within dentile tubules as they cure. This might sometimes lead to allergies, which can result in gum inflammation and increased sensitivity in your teeth. A few dental cements may also irritate the gum tissue or the tooth itself, which can cause a bit of temporary sensitivity.
- Tooth decay or tooth infection: If your crown is properly placed or if the dental cement happens to come loose, bacteria can sneak in underneath, which might lead to an infection or tooth decay. And just so you know, tooth decay is one of the main culprits behind that dentin hypersensitivity you might experience.
- A poorly-fitted crown: If you feel tooth pain when you bite into food, it could be that your crown isn’t the right size for your tooth. Whether it’s too big or too small, an ill-fitting crown can put undue pressure on the parts of your tooth beneath it, like the dentin and pulp. This can lead to discomfort and sensitivity, making your eating experience pretty unpleasant. It’s important to get that checked out to ensure everything feels just right.
- Bite interference: Bite interference, which is also called malocclusion, happens when your upper and lower jaws aren’t quite in sync. This misalignment can lead to situations where the teeth from one jaw come into contact with a dental crown in an awkward way when you bite down, causing some diagonal pressure on the tissues below.
How Common Is Tooth Sensitivity After a Crown?
If you’ve just gotten a crown and are feeling some tooth sensitivity, don’t worry—it’s pretty common. Your mouth is just getting used to the new addition, and this sensitivity is part of the healing process.
It’s totally normal to feel some sensitivity for a little while, and it usually goes away on its own in just a few days or weeks. But if you notice that your sensitive teeth sticks around or gets worse, don’t hesitate to reach out to your dentist.
How long does sensitivity in teeth last after receiving a crown?
If you’ve recently had a crown placed, you might notice some tooth sensitivity. It’s pretty normal and usually hangs around for just a few days to a couple of weeks as your mouth gets used to the new addition.
If you have sensitive teeth after a dental crown procedure or if it gets really uncomfortable, it’s a good idea to reach out to your dentist. They’ll be able to take a look and see if there’s anything else that needs to be done.
Just a reminder that keeping up with your oral hygiene practices, like brushing gently and flossing, can really help ease any discomfort and support your healing process.