Crowned tooth became sensitive to sweets

My 10 years old crown on the bottom left molar (no root canal) recently became sensitive to sweets, and the pain radiates to underneath the jaw. From the Xray, the roots looks fine. My dentist said that she had to cut the crown into pieces in order to see where the problem is. As the result, I have to have a new crown made. Is this absolutely necessary? Can a dentist simply remove a permanent crown without cut it into pieces? What might be the cause of the sensitivity?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

There could be a cavity underneath the crown.  If the x-rays don't show it, there's no way to know for sure if there's a problem underneath until the crown is removed.  Its possible to try to tap the crown off with a hook underneath to pop it out, but sometimes it can also pop the crown with a part of the tooth and break it so its not worth it in my opinion unless the crown appears to be somewhat loose already.  Even then, you still run the risk of breaking the tooth.