HomeAnswersDentistryceramic bridgeI have been experiencing dull pain in my three-unit ceramic bridge. Please help.

Why do ceramic bridges on teeth cause pain?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

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Published At May 12, 2023
Reviewed AtMay 12, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I have a three-unit bridge made of all ceramic. Recently I have started having dull pain when I chew on one of the anchoring teeth, I tried to bite down on a gauze to see exactly which tooth and it feels like the pain comes from between one of the anchoring teeth and one of my regular non-worked on teeth. Could it be that my gums are irritated from flossing in between those two teeth? Or something worse could be going on under the crown? I went to my dentist a few weeks ago and got an X-ray and checked everything. He told me that everything is perfectly fine, I had the bridge for just over four years and both anchoring teeth still have roots intact. My other question is, can X-rays even show anything on all ceramic bridges and crowns? Should I be worried?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I am a maxillofacial surgeon and I will be answering your query shortly. Please check your follow up messages.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor

Thank you for the reply.

Is there a way it can heal without antibiotics? Because it is not that painful, it is only when I chew down on that specific tooth. My concern was that the X-rays do not show anything because I have read that the crowns block the X-rays. But like I said I have an all-ceramic bridge. So my question is does that allow for X-rays? Also, the two teeth that are anchoring the bridge did not have root canal treatment on them. I tend to worry about any kind of pain in the tooth and always think the worst, I really hope this is just gum irritation, also when I floss the area it bleeds.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

It is definitely a sign of gum irritation then if there is bleeding while flossing. No, do not worry too much about the crown when you get recurring pain. If it heals after you take the antibiotics, then you will not need further dental treatment. Yes, in spite of the crown, if there is a tooth infection or abscess we can detect it on the X-ray. But gum infections will not be seen because they are soft tissues. Actually, I was about to tell you that, this can be concerning if you leave it to heal itself. This dull pain can aggravate further into chronic tooth pain because the infection will start spreading to the jaw bone when you leave it untreated without antibiotic prophylaxis. So if you have no other medical history, I can just prescribe it here, and follow it for three to five days. After that if the pain persists continuously then you can follow up with me here, I will suggest a list of five to ten nonsurgical strategies to relieve gum infection. Yes, always antibiotic therapy is a mandatory part of relieving dental bound infection. So after that only other smaller strategies you can implement that too if pain persists. Usually, you will feel better after this certainly because the infection will be relieved immediately almost. I would also suggest you do a Betadine (2% Povidone iodine) mouth gargle rinse at least three times a week and salt water rinsing a couple of times a day to relieve gum infection. If you have no other medical issues or tablets you are on, please let me know so I can just prescribe right away and you can start the course.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop
Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop

Dentistry

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