I’m very frustrated with my recent root canal! I’m still having some pain when my teeth touch.
Here’s the history: I had crowns put on both #7 and #10 (lateral incisors) with no pain. I wore the temporary crowns for 2 wks with no pain or discomfort, but after the crowns were place, #10 began to hurt. I went 1 month with the pain and had several adjustments on my own bottom teeth and the new crowns. Finally the doctor did a root canal on # 10. This solved the cold sensitivity, but there is still pain. I’m not sure what to do. I’ve lost my trust in my dentist over all this. I don’t know if its an infection or something. I still have cold sensativity in #7 also but was told to wait another month after yet another adjustment. Help!
- Ann from California
Dear Ann,
These lateral incisors are thin teeth, and it’s very easy for them to get over sensitive with a new crown, and sometimes they end up needing root canal treatments.
There are several possible explanations for your pain. It could be that there is still infection present even after the root canal treatment. Sometimes biting sensitivity can also be caused by gum irritation, provoked either by a poorly fitting dental crown or sensitivity to the metal in the crown. It could be a bite problem.
If you’ve lost confidence in your dentist, I would suggest getting a second opinion. But I would encourage asking for a “blind” second opinion. You don’t need to tell the second dentist about your frustrations or too much of your history because that invites a diagnosis that tells you what you want to hear. Just tell them about your symptoms, how long you’ve had the crown and the root canal, and see what they find.