Crown lengthening is a minor surgical procedure. It is generally performed in order to improve the health
of the gum tissue, or to prepare the mouth for restorative or cosmetic
procedures. In addition, crown lengthening procedures can be used
to correct a “gummy” smile, where teeth are covered with excess gum
tissue. The portion of a tooth that is not covered by gums is generally called the crown of the tooth. Crown lengthening exposes more of the natural tooth to the oral cavity, by
reshaping or re-contouring bone and gum tissue. This treatment can be
performed on a single tooth, many teeth or the entire gum line, to
expose a pleasant, aesthetically pleasing smile.
Crown lengthening is a versatile and common procedure that has many effective uses and benefits. The main reason for performing this procedure is to expose more healthy tooth structure in cases where damage due to a cavity or fracture extends below the gum line. Once more of the tooth is exposed, then the restorative dentist can effectively treat the area by removing any pathology and placing a restoration such as a bonded resin filling, inlay, onlay or crown.
Also in some situations extra gum tissue can make teeth look unnaturally short, and also
increase susceptibility to periodontal infections. Removing excess gum
tissue, through crown lengthening, can restore a balanced, healthy look and thus create a more cosmetically pleasing appearance. This can be done in conjunction with porcelain veneers to improve the aesthetics of the case even further.
The ideal way to handle a case in need of crown lengthening is through a multidisciplinary approach where a surgeon or periodontist preform the surgical aspect and a restorative dentist or prosthodontist does the restorative work.
