How long is this supposed to hurt?

LasMa
Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:35:12 +0000

I think we’re conflating root canals and crowns. They are two different things, although they’re often done in conjunction.

A root canal permanently kills the tooth, so that the sensitive nerve can never cause trouble or pain down the road (a good thing in my book, I’ve had 3 of them). A root canal can be covered either with a filling or a crown, depending on how much tooth is intact above the gum.

A crown is a new covering for a tooth, and can be installed over a dead or a live root.

(Above is based on my personal experience, not dental expertise.)

Personally I like my crowns better than my real teeth. They never hurt or cause any trouble.

DonnaL, it seems odd to me that you were still having so much pain a day after your procedure. After dental work, my next-day mouth usually feels a little tender and bruised, but not the kind of agony you described. I"ve never had next-day temperature sensitivity, inability to eat, or need for major drugs and long periods of sleep. If it were me, and my mouth didn’t feel completely normal on Monday, I’d insist on being seen again.