Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a common gum surgery in which gum tissue and bone are removed from around a tooth to expose more of a particular tooth. This is often carried out when a tooth needs a crown and there is not enough tooth tissue left above the gum to support the crown.

Crown lengthening can also help in the case of a broken tooth or decay below the gum line. In addition, it can be used to correct a gummy smile.

Crown lengthening involves gum surgery to expose more tooth, thus allowing it to support another dental procedure. The procedure is necessary when not enough tooth shows above the gum line to support a filling or a crown. It’s a dental procedure used to remove excess gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of the tooth.

Crown lengthening is performed by a periodontist: a gum specialist  such as Dr. Jonathan Richter. During the procedure, Dr. Richter will raise the gum to pull the soft tissue away from the tooth and expose the root and surrounding bone. This will enable him to remove bone around the root to make adequate room to install a crown.

Correct a Gummy Smile With Crown Lengthening

A gummy smile is when the upper teeth appear too short compared to the amount of gum tissue exposed when you smile. Crown lengthening can improve the appearance of a smile by displaying more tooth by reshaping the gums. Patients will be placed under local anesthesia while Dr. Richter trims small amounts of excess gum tissue to reshape the gums.

If dental restorations such as fillings and crowns are needed but not enough tooth is exposed to support the procedures, a crown-lengthening surgery may be the right option. The Cardiodontal dental professionals will discuss treatment options with you during the initial consultation.