[thatcher10]

Three weeks ago, I had my back molar extracted. The tooth next to the extracted molar had a crown on it, which the dentist removed for the extraction and then put back in place. The hole left from the extraction extended a little bit under the replaced crown, but the dentist said that wasn't a problem.

The site seems to be healing fine, but the crown is right over the edge of the extraction site and so chewing with it has been pretty sore/tender at times. Is this normal? Should I just continue to avoid chewing at all on that side of my mouth until the gum is more solidly healed next to the crown or is it possible that the gum under the crown has become infected or inflamed?

Also, the entire area of the extraction still gets achy from time to time - including the crowned tooth and the gum and cheek above it. Just sore, not extremely painful, but Advil and Tylenol don't seem to help. Any advice as to if this is all just a part of the healing process or if I need to go back to the dentist would be appreciated. I took a full round of antibiotics before and after the extraction, so I am hoping to avoid another round.