Issues with tooth after crown

[El301]

Hi!

I went to the dentist in January for a check-up, and he said that I needed a filling in one of my molars, as there was a cavity forming between it and the premolar in front. I had previously felt no pain in this area.

The filling was done, and for weeks after this I couldn't eat on that side of my mouth, as a sharp shooting pain would go through the tooth every time I bit down.

I went back to the dentist, and although we couldn't make the pain happen when he pressed on the tooth with his instruments, he decided to take the filling out and redo it just in case. This didn't work, and eating was still painful. When I went back he drilled a small groove across the filling, allowing it to expand and contract more easily. I believe he thought that the filling was causing a small crack in my tooth to expand, and case the pain when bitten on. Again, prodding around didn't cause pain, although the drill did at certain angles. Again, it didn't work. The dentist then put a 'band' around the tooth to try and hold it together (although no crack has been found definitely). Didn't work. None of this was charged for, apart from the initial filling.

So he decided to crown the tooth, which cost over $1000 as my insurance didn't cover it. Although it seemed good at the time - I could bite on the tooth - I'm now getting pain from it three months later. It's mildly sensitive to bite on and it aches a bit sometimes. But when I'm in bed and roll over, I get strong pain above the tooth and a feeling of pressure. This abates after a few seconds.

This isn't normal hey?! :) I'm worried though that the crown will have to be scrapped if any more work is done on the tooth.... I've only had it for three months and it was sooo expensive! Where do I stand if this expensive treatment didn't work? Am I eligible for a refund? Should the future work on this tooth be free? I can't keep paying and paying for different treatments on a problem that the dentist can't seem to diagnose, particularly as the tooth didn't hurt until after the filling. Can the act of filling a tooth cause a crack?

Does anyone have any ideas about what the pain could be?

Many thanks,
Ellie

[scottma]

Seeing an occlusionist or prosthodontist to evaluate the bite is advised.If no results come out, you may need to see an orofacial pain specialist.

[lynn117]

yes the act of filling can cause a crack or make an existing crack worse. there isnt anything your dentist can do to prevent this. dental work is expensive but as with most medical procedures there is no guaranty and you will probably get nothing free. you could possibly have a crack that isnt visible on an xray. sometimes a root canal can help and if its a root fracture sometimes even the root canal wont help and the tooth is considered fatal .hopefully you problem is just a matter of adjusting the bite and nothing more serious.