Tag Archives: crown too high

Dental Crowns, Root Canals

My dentist won’t fix my bite after getting a crown!

I had to get a root canal because I broke my bottom molar in the back about a month ago eating a hard popcorn kernal.  After I got the crown, I knew immediately that it didn’t feel like my usual bite. The dentist ground it down a little, but I left that day with it still being off.  He said it would get better. I let it got for a week, but every time I would bite or clench my teeth together, they just didn’t fit. So I went back in to have him fix it, but he was really hesitant to grind much more, saying I just need to get used to “my new bite.” Does it weaken the crown to grind it down? I just can’t figure out why my dentist won’t fix how my teeth fit together.

Preston, Branson, Missouri

Dear Preston,

It’s not fun to have to get a root canal and crown, but it’s even more frustrating to have your occlusion, or bite, feel off.  Because eating is essential, it’s not like you can just avoid biting and chewing. Correcting the bite is a routine part of placing a crown. If your dentist is hesitating, it may mean that either he doesn’t know how to fix it or is uncomfortable to do so.

How dentists correct the bite on your crown

Your bite will never feel exactly the way it did with your original tooth. The dentist can shape the contour to match it as closely as possible. Dentists use a special registration paper to have you “tap tap” your teeth together. This helps them see what parts of the tooth are hitting before the other parts. They can then grind down those spots. It’s doesn’t weaken the crown to fix those small spots.

You can give yourself some more time to try to adjust to your crown. If you continue to  experience discomfort, you will need to do something. It’s not good for your jaw to have your bite off. You could try to see your dentist again, but if he was uncomfortable or not knowledgable to do it right the first time, it may not end well . You may need to see another dentist to fix it.

This post is sponsored by Vista Dorada Dental in Gilbert, AZ.

 

CEREC crowns

Pain with CEREC Crown

I had a cerec crown put in and since then I have had a lot of pain when biting down on this tooth. I’ve been back twice for my dentist to readjust the bite. After the second time when I told him I was still having a problem he said it was because of the way I chew. If that is the case then why didn’t it hurt before I had the crown when I chewed?

Frustrated and in pain.

I can understand your frustration. I don’t believe the pain is from your chewing. In general, there are two main reasons for you to have pain while chewing with a crown.

The first is if the crown is too high. There are a couple of things that make me think this is unlikely. First,  CEREC crowns are milled by a computer which is more precise in its construction, therefore you have less chance of a  poor fit. Secondly, your dentist has already adjusted it twice.

Another possible reason for the pain you are experiencing is you could have an infection. I’d get an x-ray done to eliminate that possibility (though it seems the more likely of the two). However, if you’re not confident in your doctor’s diagnostic ability, then I would go to a root canal specialist to have your x-ray done.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.