Crown Lengthening

For some people, not enough of their teeth are exposed above the gum line. This prevents a tooth from being able to support a crown or even a filling. This sometimes happens when a tooth is fractured at the gumline. One common way to correct this is through crown lengthening. During a crown lengthening procedure, we will remove gum tissue or bone so that more of the tooth will be exposed.

Before the Procedure

To start, we will take X-rays and review your medical history to determine if a crown lengthening is the best course of action for you. Before the actual procedure, we will give you a thorough cleaning. If a crown is necessary, we will apply a temporary one. This will protect the tooth during the procedure and makes it easier to determine how much bone and soft tissue should be removed.

Crown Lengthening Procedure

Before the procedure, we will give you a local anesthesia. Surgery time will vary depending on how many teeth need to be treated. For this procedure, we will need to treat all of the teeth neighboring the infected area. We will cut and lift the gum away from the teeth so we can see what needs to be removed. As the tooth is exposed, sterile salt water will be used to clean the surgical area. Finally, we will stitch up your gums.

After the Procedure

After the procedure, we will use ice to help decrease any facial swelling. We will also give you a special mouth rinse and prescriptions to help with pain. We advise that you stick with soft foods for a few days and avoid brushing your teeth directly on the surgical area. Instead, use a water pick or gentle mouth rinse.

Follow Up

It is important to come back for a follow up within ten days to get your stitches removed. We also want to see you six months after the procedure for check-in to make sure everything has healed properly. A full recovery from a crown lengthening can take up to three months.