What does it mean if my tooth hurts after I have a temporary crown placed?

This is a question that I am frequently asked. It is common for freshly prepared teeth to be sensitive when a new temporary is placed. For many years dentists cemented temporary crowns in with sedative temporary cements that contained eugenol . Eugenol is an abtundent and it can calm down an irritated pulp, but it can interfere with bonding agents. In the last ten years, as composite cements have become more popular, dentists have been using less eugonol based temporary cements.

Accordingly the number of sensitivity complaints have probably gone up. Preparing a tooth for a full coverage crown can create irritation in a pulp and create temporary sensitivity. Most times it goes away eventually. Occasionally teeth do not calm down and may require endodontic therapy.

Other common possible causes of sensitivity of teeth with temporary crowns can be high bites or incompletely covered preparations. These can be easily corrected by a dentist. If you do have sensitivity after having a temporary placed it is a good idea to let your dentist know.

If I have a patient who still has this sensitivity when I am trying in the permanent crown, sometimes I choose to cement the permanent crown with a temporary cement, just to allow the tooth to calm down prior to permanently cementing the crown. If the tooth remains 'unhappy' even with the permanent crown temporarily cemented endodontic therapy is an option that may have to be eventually considered.