Crown Lengthening

Fix a gummy smile and prepare your tooth for a crown with precise gum and bone reshaping.
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Crown Lengthening

Why Might I Need Crown Lengthening?

 Crown lengthening is a procedure that reshapes the gum tissue, and sometimes the underlying bone, to expose more of the tooth. It may be recommended to improve gum health, prepare a tooth for a crown or other restoration, or enhance the appearance of a “gummy smile.”

For restorative treatment, crown lengthening may be needed when a damaged or weakened portion of the tooth extends below the gumline. By exposing more of the tooth, the procedure allows your dentist to properly place a restoration and makes the area easier to keep clean, helping reduce the risk of future decay and gum problems.

Crown lengthening can be performed on one tooth, several teeth, or along a larger portion of the gumline, depending on your individual needs.

What Happens During the Procedure?

The procedure is typically performed using local anesthesia. Your periodontist will carefully reshape the gum tissue around the tooth and, when necessary, remove a small amount of bone to achieve the desired result.

Once the appropriate amount of tooth structure has been exposed, the area is cleaned and the gums are repositioned and secured with sutures. A protective dressing may also be placed to support the area as it begins to heal.

It is normal for the teeth to appear longer immediately following the procedure because the gumline has been repositioned. A follow-up visit is generally scheduled within one to two weeks to check your healing and remove the sutures.

Complete healing can take approximately two to three months, depending on the extent of the procedure and your individual healing process.

Signs you may need treatment

Gummy Smile

Crown Needed Deep Below Gum

Tooth Too Close To Bone

Loose Future Restoration Risk

What to expect

1

Diagnose

We check if crown lengthening is required when your tooth needs a new crown or other restoration but the edge is deep below gum tissue and too close to bone. We need to ensure proper fit and enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future and you can clean it properly to prevent decay.

2

Treat

Crown lengthening takes approximately one hour depending on amount of teeth involved and if bone needs to be removed. The procedure is usually performed under local anesthetic and involves small incisions around tissue to separate gums from teeth. Even for one tooth, we adjust surrounding teeth for even reshaping, and in some cases a small amount of bone is extracted.

3

Restore

When satisfied that teeth have sufficient exposure, incisions are cleaned with sterile water, sutures and a protective bandage are placed to secure the new gum-to-tooth relationship. Your teeth will look noticeably longer immediately after because gums have been repositioned. You will be seen in one or two weeks to remove sutures. The surgical site should be completely healed in approximately two to three months.

Common questions

Why would I need crown lengthening?
Usually to improve gum health, prepare mouth for a procedure, or correct a gummy smile where teeth are covered with excess gum. It is often required when a tooth needs a new crown but the edge of restoration is deep below gum tissue, too close to bone, or there is not enough tooth structure for the crown to fit properly.
It takes approximately one hour depending on number of teeth and if bone removal is needed. It is performed under local anesthetic so you are comfortable. Afterward there may be mild swelling, and you will have sutures and a protective bandage. Healing is evaluated in one to two weeks.
Yes, immediately after surgery your teeth will look noticeably longer because gums have been repositioned to create a new gum-to-tooth relationship. This also corrects a gummy smile and gives a more esthetically-pleasing smile while allowing proper cleaning.
Some patients still hear about the long-dispelled “focal infection theory.” This frightening era of extraction over treatment ended decades ago. Well-designed modern research has contradicted Dr. Price’s findings for over 70 years and continues to support the safety of dental treatment.
You will need to be seen in one to two weeks to remove sutures and evaluate healing. The surgical site should be completely healed in approximately two to three months. Once healed, your dentist can place the final crown or restoration with a proper fit that will not come loose.