A crown lengthening procedure is designed to reshape the gums at the base of the desired tooth. Its purpose is to expose additional tooth surface and if necessary adjust the bone level. There are a number of dental conditions that need restorations requiring this procedure.

Common conditions are –

• Short tooth
• Severe tooth decay below the gum line
• Tooth fractured and broken off beneath the gum line

When a tooth breaks, or if there is severe decay, the remaining healthy tooth area is reduced and this can affect the potential for successful tooth restoration. With crown lengthening, more of the tooth’s surface will be exposed and this will help act as an anchor for future restorative work such as crowns, veneers, or more.

Your gums need at least 2 mm of tooth surface area to bond with in order to prevent trapped foods and other potential problems. If part of a tooth is missing or if the decay is too deep, crown lengthening is used to recreate the required amount of exposed tooth so that restorative dental procedures will not weaken or fall off.

The procedure:

• Crown lengthening is performed by your periodontist under a local anesthetic.
• This can be combined with sedation for those patients who desire it.
• The selected area of the gums is reduced and contoured through the removal of small amounts of tissue.
• The goal is to lengthen the appropriate teeth and create greater symmetry at the gum line.

Post operative care:

• For most patients, crown lengthening does not require any additional post-operative care and any slight pain can be easily managed with Ibuprofen.
• While crown lengthening patients can return to work and begin eating soft foods the day after surgery, full recovery of the gum tissue generally takes one or two weeks.
• This is a simple procedure that goes a long way in ensuring a healthy, long lasting crown restoration.