What Is Crown Lengthening?

The dental process called crown lengthening consists of increasing the accessible surface of the tooth. This can be done for a variety of reasons according to the specific medical conditions of a dental patient. Patients will often see a periodontist or other professional before getting a crown lengthening procedure in order to address specific dental issues and help promote healthier teeth and gums.

Reasons for Crown Lengthening

In some cases, crown lengthening is done because there is some decay or other problem in the teeth under the gum line, where dentists cannot reach that area of the tooth in order to fix it. These cases might call for crown lengthening in order to provide appropriate access. In other cases, crown lengthening is done to provide a different visual result, for instance, to alleviate the problem of a “gummy smile” where a large amount of the gum intrudes into the visible areas of the mouth.

Crown Lengthening Procedure

A crown lengthening procedure generally involves anesthetic and may be a costly treatment. Talk to your dentist or dental professional up front about the risks and benefits of this procedure, how much it will cost, and the predicted results. Provide a list of known allergies and a full medical history in order to avoid some problems with crown lengthening. Good pre-treatment talks with the dentist can help patients to avoid misunderstandings about why this process is done and what kinds of results it ultimately provides.

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• Why Is Crown Lengthening Needed?
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• What Is a Temporary Dental Crown?