What is the Crown Lengthening Procedure?
Have you always been unhappy with the appearance of your smile? Is it the large size of your gums, or how small your teeth look in comparison? You may not be aware that there is a cosmetic dental procedure that is the solution for your concerns. Alexandria Crown lengthening is a dental procedure where extra gum and bone tissue are surgically removed to expose more of your natural teeth. The procedure is the perfect solution to improve the appearance of a “gummy” smile. If you just recently learned about the crown lengthening procedure, you may be interested in learning more about what exactly is involved in the procedure and what the recovery period is like. Here is more information on crown lengthening to get you started.
Why Crown Lengthening?
The crown lengthening procedure is designed to remove excess gum and bone tissue around the teeth to make the natural teeth below the tissue more visible. The procedure is most commonly performed when a patient wants or needs to:
- Improve the aesthetic appearance of their smile: If the gums are oversized and make the teeth look small, the procedure will be used to trim excess gum tissue that covers several teeth to change the appearance of the gumline. For individuals with a “gummy smile”, the teeth underneath the extra gum tissue are usually the appropriate size, but they are hidden by the oversized gums. The result of the procedure are gums that are proportional to the teeth.
- Restore a decayed or damaged tooth: A tooth that is decayed or broken below the gumline may be difficult to repair. The crown lengthening procedure can be used first to make the repair possible. When used for this purpose, the procedure will expose more of the decayed or damaged tooth, making it possible for the tooth to be fixed and a new crown to be attached.
Procedure Steps
Crown lengthening is a minor periodontal surgery. While the steps of the procedure depend on the overall goal and the number of teeth that will be involved, there are a few common steps:
- Anesthetic: Prior to the procedure, the surgeon will numb the area to be treated with local anesthetic.
Tissue removal: After the treated area is numb, the oral surgeon will make tiny cuts in the gum to trim the tissue around the teeth. If a tooth needs to be restored, more tissue may be removed than for a procedure where the goal is to reduce the appearance of the gums. - Clean up: When the surgeon is satisfied with the amount of tissue removed and the new shape of the gums, the area will be cleaned and stitched to maintain the new shape of the gums.
How long this procedure will take and how much work is needed depends on the treatment plan decided upon by the dentist. A procedure that involves several teeth will take much longer than a procedure where just one tooth is being worked on.
Recovery from the Procedure
Immediately after the procedure there will be some minor pain and swelling. Ice and over the counter pain medication will help with this initial discomfort. Approximately 7-10 days after the procedure, it will be time to have the stiches removed so the mouth can continue to heal.