If you think crown lengthening seems silly, think again. This procedure can significantly improve the gum tissue health. Crown lengthening can also correct a “gummy” smile be lengthening the visible part of the tooth when a portion of the gum tissue is removed. In addition, crown lengthening will expose more natural tooth, reshape or recontour the bone and gum tissue. At Dental Care of Mid Florida we can perform crown lengthening on a single tooth, several teeth or the whole gum line. We can do a variety of things to help get the most vibrant, desired smile for our patient.
Why Get a Crown Lengthening Procedure
This versatile procedure is quite common because it makes such a visible difference to a smile. Our patients have a high satisfaction rate with the crown lengthening procedures done by our dentists. The results are often better than patients expect.
The common Reasons for Crown Lengthening in Mid Florida
Preparation for Restorations – When periodontal disease has damaged teeth causing infection and decay to the gums, we recommend crown lengthening as a restorative treatment. If teeth are broken under the gum line we use corn lengthening to prepare for a successful tooth restoration.
Improve Appearance of Smile – Some patients have long gums which make their teeth look short and, at times, can make the smile look “youthful.” Long gums are not just a visual problem; they can increase the susceptibility of periodontal infections as well. We perform crown lengthening to restore a healthy mouth and give an aesthetic improvement.
Aid in Dental Crown Procedures – Crown lengthening often provides more space in between the dental crown and jawbone which prevents the likelihood that the new crown will damage and gum tissue when it’s placed.
How Involved is a Crown Lengthening Procedure?
- We perform the procedure when the patient is under a local anesthetic
- Length of procedure varies depending on the number of teeth, how much bone needs removing and how much gum tissue needs removing.
- Existing crowns get removed before the procedure and are replaced right after the crown lengthening is done.
The procedure details:
- The dentist makes small incisions around the gum’s soft tissue to loosen the gum from the tooth. (even if only lengthening/recontouring one tooth, the adjacent teeth may need to have the gum loosened/treated to make it possible to perform the procedure.)
- Then the dentist has access to the teeth roots and the jawbone beneath it.
- Usually the gum removal is enough to expose enough of the crown, but occasionally a small amount of the bone will need to get removed around the teeth.
- The dentist uses special hand instruments and rotary instruments.
- After enough crown is exposed, the dentist cleans the area and stitches up the gum where needed.
- To prevent infection, the dentist bandages the area with and intraoral bandage.
- We prescribe a pain medication and a mouth rinse to help reduce bacteria growth while the mouth heals.
- Usually that site is fully healed after 2-3 months.
The improvement will be noticeable immediately!
Is a crown lengthening procedure a necessary procedure for you? Contact us now to schedule an appointment or ask any Crown Lengthening questions.