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Temporary Crown Causing Gum Pain and Swelling

J

jaime

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
71
I got a temporary crown put in last week and it started giving me pain a couple days ago. The pain is constant, but only really throbs after moving my mouth (especially for smiling). So I go to the dentist today, they put a numbing cream (Colgate Orabase) on the swollen gums, and sent me on my way with a sample packet of the cream to use as needed. The numbing cream helps, but I don't know if it's just masking the pain or actually helping for the long run.

I look online to read more about my problem and came across a post about how temporary crowns made with acrylic can irritate the gums, even to the point where the placement of the permanent crown can be affected. I also read another post about how this irritation could be something called crown invasion and that crown lengthening to remove extra gum tissue and file down the tooth bone is the only way to solve this gum pain and swelling.

Did my dentist do the proper thing by just giving me a numbing cream? I'm thinking maybe I should give the cream a few days and then go back to the dentist if the pain and swelling is still there. I've had one other crown done a couple years ago by another dentist and didn't have this complication.
 
What you're talking about is Biologic Width encroachment by the crown. A very controversial subject amongst dentists, many of whom don't believe it exists at all.

Some of the temp materials can be a bit irritating to the tissues and so can the temp cements, so it may be that. Your dentist has had the benefit of seeing your mouth and thinks the cream is the right thing, I'm not going to argue with him without even seeing you :)
 
Thanks for replying. I really do hope it's just the materials in the temporary crown causing me trouble. And I hope this irritation doesn't last for the duration of having this temp crown on; my appointment to get the permanent crown isn't for another 3 weeks.
 
Oh, and that Biologic Width encroachment thing...I tried looking it up and it appears to be beyond my layman's scope of understanding. I do find it intriguing, with the controversy and all. (I wonder if my dentist would look at me like I had 3 eyes if I brought the subject up.) What's your view on it?
 
You're getting a bit confused with this biologic width stuff.

Basically the theory is that you need a certain minimal distance between the top of the bone of the tooth's socket and the edge of the gum. Since crown margins at the front are usually placed down below the gumline to hide them, then the theory goes that this may encroach onto that minimal space, causing inflammation and irritation.

It's nothing to do with how tight or close the crowns are together.

I'm sceptical about it, it does make a certain amount of sense, but there are other things that could cause it. Hence the controversy among dentists :)
 
@jaime If you are having pain associated with a temporary crown, Ask your Dentist for a med prescription called Chlorhexidine Gluconate 12% Oral Rinse. Sure to give Immediate relief to gums prior to a permanent Crown replacement.
 
I was going to just delete that post but since some folks have read it already, I'd better do some corrections.
(I'm sure that 11 years on Jaime has probably solved the problem.)

12% Chlorhexidine would be a really, really bad idea, the normal oral rinse concentration is 0.2%... 12% would cause severe tissue damage.

I wouldn't expect Chx rinse to give immediate relief or maybe even help much at all, depending on the reason why there was an issue in the first place.
 
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