Post R/C- Healing pain or Fractured tooth?

[VickyS]

3 weeks back I had R/C on Tooth # 3 and was fitted with a temp.crown same day. This tooth used to have a big metal inlay, started getting excruciating pain, Dr.said abcess,  need R/C. Dr.also took mould for Permanent crown and its arrived. After R/C the hot-cold pain sensation and awful pain stopped. But 3 weeks later, I cannot eat on that side. No pain if I just bite together, but with food I get pain. Dentist checked bite, said it was okay. He asked me to wait 2 months & avoid eating on that side. He said tooth needs time to heal esp.looking at its history.  Said if no improvment in 2 mths, it means tooth has split & will require extraction + bridge.
Does it really take 2-3 months for pain to go away? I am trying to know which is more likely the case- Healing pains or Fractured tooth? If its fractured tooth would just light touching with just my tongue or tapping on it slightly cause pain? If tooth had fracture, how come I never had any such pain before? Till last week, this tooth hurt even when brushing, but now that is getting lesser. If I have to extract the tooth, how long can I SAFELY wait before fitting a bridge, without adjacent teeth moving due to gap.

[VickyS]

Update: Since last 3 days, when I drink any liquid I get pain in tooth # 3 on which I had root canal (see above post). Pain is little sharper with hot liquid, but even plain room temperature water causes it. I think pain is from root canalled tooth, though it seems to spread all the way to the front in both upper and lower teeth & to back of upper jaw. It does not happen every single time, but seems to have increased in frquency each day. Can you pls tell me what could be causing it?

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

Because the tooth is hurting does not necessarily mean that it is fractured. It could be that the infection from the dead nerve has not healed. I would not rush to extract the tooth unless you get a consult with an Endodontist(RC specialist). It is possible that the rct has to be retreated. There are opther ways to replace that tooth other than a bridge--implant is a possibility--so you do not have to touch the other teeth. I would first explore the first scenario.