Crown Lengthening

There are two reasons for crown lengthening, one is restorative, the other is esthetics.  Cavities can decay teeth to the point where a restoration is virtually impossible without a procedure called crown lengthening. Crown lengthening is a routine surgical procedure, which remodels the contour of the gum line, the procedure does not actually lengthen the crown, but rather lowers the gum line. When there is not enough tooth structure to affix a crown, this is the only option. Sometimes a tooth has been broken below the gum line. In this instance, crown lengthening is very successful in exposing more of the tooth, so that the dentist can provide a more predictable restoration long term.

In some situations, there can be there can be excess gum tissue on the teeth and can give someone the appearance of a “gummy” smile. In these cases, the gum tissue can be contoured, usually using a laser, to reduce the margins and elongate the tooth surface giving you a more esthetically pleasing smile.