A crown lengthening procedure may be required to extend the life of a damaged tooth. Exposing more of the crown of a tooth may help perform certain dental procedures such as placing crowns. When it comes to the crown lengthening procedure, there are some biomechanical factors that need to be considered; biologic width is one of them.
What Is the Biologic Width?
Biologic width is measured from the junctional epithelium and the connective tissue attached to the surface of the root of the tooth that will be treated with crown lengthening.
Average Measurements
The average biologic width is as following:
- 2.04 mm (the biologic width)
- 1.07 mm of the biologic width is the attachment of the connective tissue
- 0.97 mm is the junctional epithelium
However, these measurements should be performed for each patient in part, as there may be slight variations. Precision devices will be used for exact measurements.
The Importance of Biologic Width
The biologic width is important, as when dental restructuring is done, the original architecture of the gums should be considered. If these measurements are not respected, there may be risks and complications that include:
- Gum and teeth pain
- Swelling of the gingival tissue, which can be chronic and difficult to manage with regular anti inflammatory drugs
- Loss of alveolar bone
In some cases, not considering the original architecture of the gum tissue may lead to the loss of the tooth or even affect the neighboring teeth.
