What Is Crown Lengthening and Should I Consider This Treatment?
We perform crown lengthening treatments quite regularly, and it’s a procedure that removes gum tissue and sometimes bone from the front of your upper jaw, exposing more of your natural teeth.
Who Needs a Crown Lengthening Treatment?
Sometimes, we recommend this procedure if a tooth needs to be restored and where not enough structure protrudes above the gum line. This can happen if a tooth breaks off or if it is substantially damaged or decayed. Exposing more of the natural tooth allows our dentists to place a crown more easily. Often, a crown lengthening treatment is carried out to correct what’s called a “gummy smile” when someone exposes too much gum tissue during smiling or talking.
How Is It Done?
We use local anaesthesia to keep you comfortable during crown lengthening and the time required depends on how many teeth must be treated. Even if only a single tooth needs treating, we usually need to lengthen the neighbouring teeth too so that we can create an even and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Our dentist will carefully remove the excess gum tissue and any excess bone so that your teeth will automatically look longer. It will take a while for your gums to heal completely, and we provide precise instructions on how to care for your mouth during healing.
