Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a small surgical procedure performed by a periodontist primarily to improve either the functional access to a tooth for restorative purposes, or adjust the aesthetic design of a smile. Crown lengthening is a short, predictable surgical procedure that takes about an hour. Once the procedure is completed, sutures will be placed and weekly follow up visits will follow until healing has occurred.

 

Traditionally, a patient is referred for crown lengthening because either a fractured tooth or decay has extended deep below the gum line and is approximating the supporting jawbone. The restorative dentist cannot appropriately access solid tooth structure in order to make an acceptable crown or filling that will last. Crown lengthening is a procedure that contours the gums and bone underneath so that additional tooth can be utilized to stabilize a new crown or other restoration.

 

If left untreated, a crown or filling that is too close to the bone can cause considerable inflammation and/or swollen gums that bleed easily and cause pain. This condition is called biologic width invasion and is the body's way of warning you that there is a foreign material (porcelain) too far inside the body. Much like a splinter in your finger, the site will become inflamed and sore as the body tries to reject the foreign object. Crown lengthening prevents this condition and ensures a solid restoration that, with good hygiene, will be there for years to come.

 

Crown Lengthening can also be used to treat a condition affectionately referred to as "gummy smile". Gummy smile is a condition where a few or many teeth have failed to fully erupt from the bone and gum during development or where there is simply too much gum tissue. The procedure used to treat this condition is called Aesthetic Crown Lengthening and is performed to improve the cosmetics of a smile. To discuss your treatment options with Richardson Periodontics & Implant Dentistry click here or our office at 352-589-1973.