Crown Lengthening
Serving Patients from Medford, Klamath Falls, Ashland, Yreka and Central Point
If a severely damaged tooth needs a repair such as a crown or filling, but not enough of the remaining tooth is exposed for the dentist to work with, then a crown lengthening is often required. The procedure is also used to re-contour the gum line and get rid of “gummy” smiles. This procedure includes a combination of gum reshaping as well as some re-contouring of the underlying bone structure. Dental laser technology has helped tremendously in making this a highly successful procedure.
The procedure
Your crown lengthening procedure may only consist of gum tissue removal. However, if your tooth is broken off at or below the gum line, odds are that some bone will need to be removed as well. Often times it is best to perform some degree of crown lengthening on neighboring teeth at the same time, even if those teeth are otherwise healthy.
Your dentist will cut and pull back your gum tissue, exposing the root and bone. At this point your dentist will be able to determine how much tissue will need to be removed in order to prepare the remaining tooth for its crown. After this tissue is removed, your dentist will suture the treated areas. Suturing should be minimal, as one advantage of laser is its ability to clot the blood. You will be fitted with a temporary crown while you wait for your newly-contoured gum line to heal. This typically takes a few months.
Once the gum line has healed, your damaged tooth will be ready to be prepped for a permanent crown. Please visit our dental crowns page for complete information.
“Crown lengthening” and “gum reshaping” are often confused for one another. The simple distinction between the two is that crown reshaping involves bone tissue removal as well as gum reshaping. Bone tissue must be removed during some gummy smile procedures because if it is not, then the bone will likely stimulate the gum to grow back into place.
Please visit our gum reshaping page for complete information on that procedure.
If you live in Southern Oregon and are in need of a crown lengthening due to excess gum development or damaged teeth, we can help. Please contact us today to arrange an appointment.
800.899.6990
Contact Us
Eagle Point Dental Center for Advanced Dentistry
217 W. Main St
Eagle Point, OR 97524
