Throbbing pain with brand new crown. What are my options?

[Bailll]

i've had terrible experiences with dentists and i wanted some advice on what to do. i had a deep cavity filled and a crown put on my top molar in 2013. then in 2017 my new dentist noticed a hole in that crown so they removed it and said they removed all the infected tissue but that it was a pretty deep cavity almost to the pulp. they put a crown on an sent me home. i've had some dull pain, but i thought it is probably just my tooth healing and my gums getting used to the new crown. tonight I was awoken at 3am with throbbing pain and now I don't know what to do. Does this mean the infection got to the root? If I do need a root canal how will insurance cover it? I JUST got this new crown 5 days ago. Will I be paying all over again for another crown or should the dentist remove it and replace it at no charge? I'm a student and the cost of this really worries me. Was it bad practice by my dentist to put the crown if the cavity was so deep? This pain so soon after makes me think I should have just been recommended to get a root canal from the beginning. Thanks for any advice and sorry about lack of capitalization and grammar mistakes. (Typing from my phone at 3am)

 

[Bita]

My dentist once said if I need root canal after crown, they just make a hole in it and do the RCT. My crown is whole ceramic. Then they fill the crown and so, no need for new crown or crown removal. You must call your insurance or check your benefits online to see how much they pay for root canal. I am student too and on student insurance plan. It covers %50 of RCT cost up to $600 for me for example.

 

[FearfulInMA]

As the above poster said, It's often possible to do a root canal through a crown. Did you not have a temporary crown on before the permanent was placed? Also, it can be really difficult to know if a tooth will need a root canal or not. It would be bad to do one in a case where it's not definitely needed. Like the other poster said, you'll have to check your benefits for the root canal. You should also check your annual maximum (what's the most your insurance will pay in a year).

 

[gentledental]

Does this mean the infection got to the root? If I do need a root canal how will insurance cover it? I JUST got this new crown 5 days ago. Will I be paying all over again for another crown or should the dentist remove it and replace it at no charge? Was it bad practice by my dentist to put the crown if the cavity was so deep? (Typing from my phone at 3am)

I'm not familiar with the American insurance system so I don't know how to answer the finance side. From the sounds of things, your dentist has tried his/her best to salvage the situation by performing the least invasive treatment for you first rather than go gung ho and suggest doing a root canal immediately. This is normally how I would approach things and I would always warn the patient that I am very close to the pulp/nerve and I don't want to charge you for a root canal just now so lets give this a go, however you MAY need to come back if this does not settle. Obviously if this does not settle, then you may require root canal treatment or an extraction and this can be performed with a small key hole procedure, where the dentist drills a small hole through the crown.