Do I Need Crown Lengthening?
Has your dentist recently recommended a crown lengthening washington dc procedure and you are wondering if the procedure is right for you? Maybe your teeth look a little small and your gums look oversized. Or maybe you have a tooth that is broken below the gumline that needs to be repaired. Regardless of the reason, the crown lengthening procedure may be the solution you need to help improve both your smile and your oral health. Here is a bit more information about the crown lengthening procedure to help you decide if it is the right treatment for you.
What is The Crown Lengthening Procedure?
The crown lengthening procedure is a minor periodontal surgery. The goal of this procedure is to reduce and reshape the gum tissue to expose more of the natural teeth. During the procedure, gum tissue is surgically removed and reshaped. In some more advance cases, bone may be removed as well. Depending on the reasoning for getting the procedure, crown lengthening may need to be done on just one tooth, or several teeth. The procedure commonly occurs in just a few steps:
- Step 1: The oral surgeon will numb the gum tissue with local anesthetic to minimize pain and discomfort experienced during the surgery.
- Step 2: The surgeon slowly removes excessive gum tissue to expose more of the natural teeth below the tissue. During this process, the surgeon also purposefully reshapes the gumline.
- Step 3: After the surgeon is finished with their work, the gums are cleaned and stitched up to help maintain their new shape.
If a tooth is broken or decayed and needs repair, this repair will have to wait until after the crown lengthening gum work has been completed and the gums are healed.
Who Needs Crown Lengthening?
There are several reasons why a dentist may have recommended crown lengthening for you, these include:
- You want to improve the appearance of your smile. If you have what is called a “gummy smile”, or teeth that appear small or short in proportion to your oversized gums, you may be looking for a solution to fix the appearance of your smile. The crown lengthening procedure may be the perfect solution. A “gummy smile” is often the result of genetics or prescription medicine use. To fix a gummy smile, the procedure is performed to remove excess tissue to make the appearance of the teeth and gums proportional. The procedure is usually performed on several teeth to fix the look of the entire gumline.
- You need to have a crown restored. A tooth that is decayed or broken below the gumline may be incredibly challenging to fix. Crown lengthening can make restoration possible by removing gum tissue to expose more of the tooth that needs be worked on. The procedure will expose more tooth, making it possible to put a new crown on the broken or decayed tooth.
If you are still trying to decide if crown lengthening is right for you, you should have a conversation with your dentist. They may be able to walk you through some alternative solutions to help you pick which treatment approach is best for you.