Your dentist may recommend crown lengthening for two main reasons. The main reason is for aesthetics. Crown lengthening can improve the appearance of your teeth if you have a ‘gummy smile’ or uneven symmetry to your gums.
Another reason for crown lengthening is if your teeth are heavily worn down or broken, and your dentist is otherwise unable to restore them definitively.
Prior to crown lengthening, Dr Shah will see you for a complete assessment. Together with the referring dentist and a dental technician, Dr Shah will create a bespoke digital smile design, so that you are fully aware of the intended outcome prior to embarking upon treatment.
The procedure is carried out under local anaesthesia to ensure you are comfortable and relaxed. The excess gum tissue may be removed and carefully shaped with either a laser or conventional instruments. Certain cases will additionally require some bone around your teeth to be gently reshaped. This is to allow us to position the gum exactly where we require and helps to prevent the regrowth of the excess tissue in the future. The tissues are stitched back and left for 7-14 days. Your dentist is usually able to place provisional restorations a week following the removal of the stitches. The final restorations can be cemented 2-3 months following the crown lengthening procedure.
Benefits include:
- The procedure allows your dentist to restore and save teeth that would otherwise not be possible and would therefore require extraction.
- It allows for improved appearance of your teeth by ensuring they have better proportions.
- Improves the appearance of a ‘gummy smile’.
Risks include:
- Post-operative pain which will normally require the use of paracetamol/ibuprofen as instructed for 3-5 days.
- Mild swelling/bruising.
- Short-term bleeding from the gums, typically only for the first 24 hours following surgery.
- Sensitivity to hot/cold food and drink.
- Short term looseness of teeth.recession
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