yes it’s possible for irritation of pulpal tissue from a crown preparation that has approximated the pulp. dentist probably would have let you know though if the prep was close. but most of the time, he/she would have done something before cementing a crown on.

with a history of bruxism, my first impression would be the crowns are supra-occluded, or high, and your ‘bite’ has changed with the new crowns. porcelain is a hard material and can cause generalized tenderness as you described if you grind and their high. if the dentists said the crowns look ‘fine’ then they probably checked the bite with some contact paper and did alittle bit of coronal reduction. if they didn’t, try that first. may relieve some pressure off of those teeth.

could be a pulpal problem as the other people suggested. which would require a root canal, but again, if the dentists said the crowns look ‘fine’ they probably checked that too. if not, have them look to see if it’ll require a root canal.

if they and you are still dumbfounded then try an occlusal nightguard. it’s a thin piece of plastic that fits on either the upper or lower teeth. kinda of like a mouth guard football players wear, but not nearly as large. you’ll wear it at night.

good luck and take care.

Pain in the masseter muscle is usually indicative of a trigger point from hard clenching or grinding. Pain in the tooth or teeth may be due to sensitivity to the cement used but many dentists now seal the dentin (bare tooth) before cementing to prevent sensitivity.

Trigger points in the masseter muscle can refer pain to the upper and lower posterior teeth simulating toothache pain. These trigger points can be treated using physiotherapy. Bruxism/clenching can cause trigger points in muscles due to myospasm. Moist heat can bring relief from trigger points if you think this is the cause of your problems. Apply over the whole side of the face to cover the entire muscle for at least 45 – 60 minutes. Remember to include the angle of the mandible as fibers of the masseter emanate from that area.

Rather than have all that extensive work done to your natural teeth, it would have been much more conservative to make you an appliance to prevent further wear and tear to your teeth. An appliance called a NTi would have suffice unless the damage to your existing dentition was really severe.

I am really wary of any non metal restoration used to protect teeth from the ravages of bruxism because all advertising hype should be taken with a grain of salt until a long enough history has been established. Too many dental companies come out with ads that promise the world without a track record to fall back on, like BruxZirs. Cast gold would have been a better choice because it has an excellent history. If you had to make a choice between esthetics and longevity and durability, I would choose the latter two.

To address the problem you have, I think you will eventually end up with an appliance anyway.

You’ve got apical periodontitis on the tooth that u experience pain on pressure. It needs to be evaluated using an IOPA (Intra Oral Peri Apical) radiograph. Sensitivity to cold water reconfirms the associated reversible pulpitis with the tooth.