Front tooth crown hurts
Pain from a front-tooth crown can come from the tooth nerve, gum, bite, cement seal, or a crack and needs an examination to identify the source.
The short answer
A painful front-tooth crown is not diagnosed by the crown alone: the dentist checks the crowned tooth, its pulp, the surrounding gum, the bite, and the root.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
A crown is a ceramic, metal, or ceramic-metal restoration cemented over a prepared tooth. Pain with cold may reflect exposed dentin or an inflamed pulp, pain on biting may reflect a high contact or root inflammation, and gum soreness may come from plaque, cement, or a rough margin.
What can you do next?
Keep the area clean with a soft brush and floss or an interdental cleaner, chew on the other side, and note whether pain is triggered by cold, heat, pressure, or spontaneous throbbing. Do not pry under the crown or place aspirin on the gum.
When should you seek dental care?
Book a dental assessment when pain lasts beyond brief sensitivity, returns repeatedly, or occurs on biting. Obtain urgent care for swelling, fever, a loose crown, a bad taste with drainage, or difficulty opening the mouth or swallowing.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the bite is high, whether the pulp and root need testing, whether the crown margin or cement is defective, and whether an X-ray or removal of the crown is needed to inspect the tooth.
Frequently asked questions
Can a crown hurt even when it looks normal?
Yes. Pulp inflammation or a bite problem may be hidden beneath an intact-looking restoration.
Does the crown always need replacing?
No. Treatment may involve bite adjustment, gum care, root canal treatment, repair, or replacement depending on the finding.