Subtle "cheek touching" sensation with a new lower molar crown. No pain, just annoying. Is it the fit or just irritation?

[donnieberry]

I got a permanent crown on my first lower molar on the 12th of December 2025. The tooth was already root canal treated and is mostly filling material/core buildup under the crown.

For the last month, I’ve had this really subtle but annoying feeling that the crown is "touching" or crowding my inner cheek. It doesn’t hurt at all, there are no red marks or cuts on my cheek, and I’m definitely not biting it. The weird thing is, though, I only feel it when I’m actually moving my mouth (opening/closing or talking). If my jaw is still, I can’t feel it at all. I can also go like 95% of my day without noticing it, but when I notice it, I tend to fixate on it until it leaves my mind. It's subtle, but annoying.

For the first few weeks after my crown, I was obsessively pulling my cheek back to "check" on it multiple times a day because I was petrified of the lump from the infection coming back. I stopped doing that about a week ago, but the sensation is still there, and it’s driving me a bit mad. I noticed that when I use my finger to pull back my cheek, it tends to land on where the sensation is (or there abouts), so I think it may be from that.

I’m really worried that the whole thing might need to be replaced, and since the tooth is mostly filled and has a root canal, I’m scared that taking the crown off might damage what's left of the tooth.

So basically, does it sound like my crown needs adjusting? or does it sound like my cheek was irritated from the constant pulling and just needs to calm down? If so, how much longer should I give it? It's already been a week since I stopped pulling my cheek back, should I give it longer?

 

[Gordon]

Sounds like a very small adjustment to the crown will sort it, so give your dentist a call.

 

[donnieberry]

@Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Called my dentist, receptionist spoke to her and she said "She said she doesn't think there is anything she can do for it, maybe give it a couple more weeks as it may just feel foreign to you"

What do you think?

 

[Gordon]

I think it's a bit of a fudge answer TBH. After a month I'd expect the "foreign" feeling to have passed, at least almost all of the time when you're not actively thinking about it, if you see what I mean.

Reshaping the porcelain on the cheek side will literally take 30s. If it's not the problem then no harm done.

 

[donnieberry]

Urgh, fs lol.

I really don’t trust my dentist, literally everywhere online said it should be an easy adjustment, and even you are saying it, and she says there is nothing she can do.

I am going to give it a couple more weeks and if it’s the same, I’ll have to pay to go to a different dentist for the adjustment I reckon, very unfortunate. I’ve been wanting to change dentists anyway, but sadly that means moving away from a NHS dentist.

Thanks Gordon!