I am a 36 year old girl. my dentist put a porcelain crown on my tooth number three a month ago, and she charged meabout $900 for the crown and almost $200 for the build up.but i still feel a little pain? what should i do?

It : It wasn't mentioned if your dentist was made aware about your symptom. Possibly, part of the crown maybe interfering when you slide your jaw forward and laterally specially in the event of chewing (worse for people who has bruxism or grinding habits). Adjusting the interference can relieve a traumatic occlusion. In the event of hyperemia (pulp inflammation), it is usually reversible because of the condition of the tooth prior to crown preparation. It is good to notify your dentist how you feel.

There : There are only two reasons why the crown might be hurting 1]the occlusion might be slightly off especially in excursive movements, 2]if it was placed due to cracked tooth sydrome you may have pulpitis which could end up with the tooth needing a root canal.

Many : Many teeth after being worked on are sensitive afterwards. This type of sensitivity is usually short lived. If the new tooth is interfering with your normal bite (ie. The tooth is "high"), then the new tooth needs to be adjusted to fit your bite. After adjusting the bite to fit correctly, the sensitivity should gradually disappear if this was the root cause of the sensitivity. The materials and procedures used to cement (ie. Glue or bond) the new crown onto your real tooth can also affect the sensitivity of your tooth. Again, this is usually a transient or short lived sensitivity that will resolve itself with time. If the cause of the sensitivity is a crack or fracture within the tooth, many times the new crown will eliminate the sensitivity but not always. If a cracked tooth was the reason that the crown was placed, and the tooth remains sensitive, it is possible that the nerve of the tooth is the cause of the sensitivity. This type of sensitivity may or may not resolve itself on its own. If this is the cause of the sensitivity, you may need additional treatment directed towards alleviating the nerve pain. You should talk with your dentist about your concerns. Your dentist may be able to treat this condition or refer you to a specialist for this type of treatment. The best type of crown is ... Tough question to answer because it depends on what you want and are willing to pay for. Crowns are usually placed to repair a weakened tooth and all crowns that are well prepared and fabricated will do the job. The least expensive crowns are made of base metals. Better metal crowns are made of mostly noble metals, (these are metals that do not rust or corrode and are very expensive metals like platinum, palladium and gold). At the top end of the metal crowns are the crowns made of mostly gold. Some dentists like these crowns because gold is a very stable material in the mouth and gentle to the opposing teeth. But metal crowns will look like the metal they are made of and many people will not accept the esthetics of these types of crowns, no matter how well they are made or how well they fit. There are also combination crowns, (ie. Metal with porcelain.) these are crowns with metal underneath and white porcelain overlaying the metal. These types of crowns are strong and pretty. The drawbacks to these crowns are the gray lines that may show at the edges of the crown and like any metal crown, there is a potential for a metal allergies if you are allergic to one or more of the metals found within the crown. There are also plastic or composite type crowns which look pretty when placed. The drawbacks to these types of crowns are the potential for staining over time and a higher degree of wear compared to the porcelain crowns. Finally, there are the all ceramic or porcelain crowns. These types of crowns are very pretty. Some of these are incredibly strong and can be made to match your teeth so closely that it is difficult to tell what teeth are crowns and what teeth are your own. You should talk to your dentist about what type of crown would be the best for you and your own unique dental situation.

There : There are several reasons why your crown may be painful after placement. Your mouth doesnt like to be worked on any more than you may want it worked on yourself. Your gums may still be a little irritated from the procedure, as may the dental pulp (or nerve). If you have slight cold sensitivity it is likely that this will go away with time. If the pain to chewing continues you may need a slight bite adjustment. If the tooth remains painful to chewing as well as senstiivity to hot foods, then it may be possible that there has been irreversible damage to the pulp and the tooth may require endodontics (root canal). It seems as if you may just need a slight bite adjustment. As far as the best type crown, that depends on many things. It would be best to discuss this with your dentist to get the various alternatives explained to you.

See your dentist: Only your dentist can make next treatment decision, and only after he/she has had an opportunity to evaluate your specific and individual situation. X-ray and re-examination is a must.