Go see a prothsodontist...they are dentists with extra training in crowns, etc....
I have similar symptoms. I had a root canal on a lower molar 6 months ago and am still waiting for it to settle down. from reading various blogs I realise I am lucky in two regards. I have no pain unless I actively bite/chew and I have refused to continue with phase two canal treatment or a crown until the tooth is completely painfree. Apart from the large costs involved I cannot see any sense in continuing on a plan for a tooth that is not ' right'. I have been back to the endodontist and had the whole root canal treatment again, fine tuning of bite etc at no cost ( my idea)he seems very competent and thorough but only outcome was that gums sometimes have phantom like pain for about a year after treatment. Options to have extraction and bridge, implant, orthodontics or wait and see. like you I have no pain biting directly down on tooth or touching gum but only when tapping sides. I am a nurse and the whole thing is a complete mystery to me. My dentist has no answer and we only have one endodontist in the city. I am about to approach a University Dental School for some ideas, I feel like I am in limbo with only a temporary filling. I do feel extraction would solve the problem but don't want to lose the tooth.
"This may seem weird but one thing I had not noticed until I got home today is that the tooth hurts when it is tapped on or near the sides BUT if I place my thumb under the bottom of that tooth to apply pressure and THEN tap, there is NOT ANY pain at all."
Just read your comment how is your tooth now? Im experiencing the same problem after being preped for a crown on Friday. I have no lump or any facial swelling but by god am I in pain.
Thanks for the comment. The endodontist does not think its the root canal as I have no hot/cold symptoms. I agree with you on the adjustment. Until then I am rising with a medicated rinse the doctor prescribed for the swollen gumline around the crowned tooth. I hope no extraction is necessary.
a simple adjustment may be needed. maybe the root canal missed something and needs to be redone. it is possible you have a root fracture. they usually dont show up on xrays and theres really no fix for it but extraction.