I had a CEREC crown put on and am having persistent pain. I’ve been back two times for my dentist to adjust and do a little shaving of it, but it is still hurting quite a bit. I’m afraid to eat food that I have to chew for fear of irritating the nerve. My dentist thinks it might be the way I chew. I don’t think so, becuase I didn’t have this problem beforehand.

Jackson R.- Los Angelos

Jackson,

Generally when there is persistent pain after a crown it is because of one of two reasons. Either the crown is too high or there is an infection. I don’t think it is the bite placement for two reasons. One, you’ve already been back and had it adjusted twice. And second, with CEREC crowns the bite placement is designed by the computer that mills the crown, which makes it easier to place. The next step is to check for an infection with an x-ray. These can sometimes be tricky to find.

If you’re a little suspect of your dentist’s diagnostic skills, you may get an endodontist to look at it. The intensity of your pain along with the amount of time that has passed makes me wonder if that is the real problem.

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