Do I Know If I Really Need Crown Lengthening?

Do I Know If I Really Need Crown Lengthening?

Team Oral Surgery

In order to help patients develop their perfect smile, many different treatments are considered in response to each patient’s particular needs. One common treatment, but also a treatment that doesn’t often come to a patient’s mind, is crown lengthening. Crown lengthening involves reshaping your gums or tooth bone level at the base of your teeth to show more of the crown.  This can be needed for esthetic reasons or for functional reasons to allow a tooth to be restored..

While it may sound like a serious treatment, crown lengthening can actually be done in as little as an hour. A scalpel or laser is used to adjust your gums, and thanks to minor anesthesia, patients should feel little to no discomfort during the procedure. It’s only natural then to ask this simple question: how do you know if you really need crown lengthening treatment?

Below, we explain some of the most common reasons for crown lengthening treatment. Use our guide or visit Dr. M Gordon to help you decide if crown lengthening is right for you. 

Reason #1: Fixing gummy smiles

One of the most popular reasons to get crown lengthening treatment is for cosmetic purposes. Many patients have what is called a ‘gummy smile,’ or an excessive amount of gum tissue that covers up your teeth. This can not only lead to a smile that looks short and out of proportion, but also leads to a higher risk of gum disease due excess gums covering the teeth.

Crown lengthening treatment reduces the excessive gum tissue, greatly improving your smile and producing nice symmetry, the essence of beauty.

Reason #2: Repairing decayed and broken teeth

In some instances though, the decay might be too deep into the tooth extending below the gum line into the support of the tooth. Or the decay destroys the tooth structure above the gum line leaving an inadequate amount of tooth for the dentist to restore.  In order to tackle tooth decay directly, many dentists may recommend crown lengthening treatment in order to have better access to develop the necessary tooth structure restoration.

Similarly, if you’ve suffered a tooth injury at the gum line, crown lengthening may be required to save it. Before crown lengthening treatments were developed, the only option for teeth that have broken at the gum line was extraction and replacement. Now, by adjusting the gums, dentists can repair teeth and save many of them even with gum line injuries thanks to crown lengthening.

Reason #3: Preparing for a dental crown

A dental crown is a cap that is placed over a broken down tooth to restore the full size tooth. Dental crowns protect the tooth that remains, while also restoring the shape to make chewing and speaking easier. There are many reasons you might need a dental crown, especially in combination with the other treatments mentioned in this article.

However, dentists need a certain amount of visible teeth space to work with in order to place a crown. Has too much of the tooth broken off, or are the gums getting in the way? With dental crown lengthenings, dentists can expose just enough of the base tooth beneath so they can properly place a dental crown and repair your tooth.

Consider crown lengthening from Dr Marc Gordon

Looking for a periodontist in or near Eatontown or Howell, New Jersey? Then you should consider visiting the award-winning Dr. Marc Gordon and his team of experienced dental specialists. 

For over 25 years, we’ve been helping patients resolve their dental and gum related oral issues. We do our best to treat and save teeth when possible, but also offer other treatments for those that need to be replaced. This includes dental implants, and other vital restorative and cosmetic treatments.

Contact us today if you have any questions, or schedule an appointment if you want to discuss the proper dental treatment for your oral needs. We look forward to seeing you at the periodontist office of Dr. M Gordon.