“How do you know if you have decay under a crown?”
I am a 45 year old male and I have a dental crown. How can I know if I have decay under a crown?
8 Answers
It can be difficult to detect in some cases. With the use of X-rays and intra oral exams it can be detected early and treated.
The main ways to tell: loose crown, bad taste, and pain.
By probing, X-ray, and symptom verified by dentist.
Clinical exam. Looking for any open margins between the tooth and the crown.
Examination by a dentist plus xray
Several symptoms can be indications of decay under a crown. Sensitivity to sweet is one. Sensitivity to biting can be a fracture. Sensitivity to cold can be exposed root, inflamed nerve, possibly too hard biting contact. Sensitivity to heat means the nerve or pulp of the tooth is not healthy. Sometimes decay will show on a X-ray of a tooth with a crown (depending on what the crown is made of, and where the decay is on the tooth. Your dentist should be able to help diagnose.
Usually you can see the decay below a crown on the X-ray.
You cannot usually tell, and if you can, it’s probably a very deep cavity. Check with your dentist.
