Crown lengthening is a simple surgical procedure that can have profound effects on a person’s oral health and the appearance of their smile. Dentists recommend crown lengthening when there isn’t enough exposed tooth surface available to affix a restoration, like a filling or crown, and when there is otherwise-inaccessible tooth decay below the gum line. Dentists also use crown lengthening procedures for cosmetic reasons, helping patients with excessive gum tissue redesign their smiles and restore the visual balance between teeth and gums.
Any dental procedure begins with an initial consultation. Here’s what to expect at yours:
- The dentist will visually and manually evaluate your gums and teeth and review your medical history to determine if you’re a good candidate for the crown lengthening procedure. This may include a discussion with your general practitioner about managing medical conditions and certain prescription medications that might interfere with healing.
- Your dental examination will include x-rays and 3D impressions of the mouth and dentition, allowing dentists to gauge the levels of bone and dental tissue below your gums.
- After reviewing images and data from your initial exam, your dentist will outline your treatment plan, indicating which areas will be modified, measuring the precise amount of tissue to be removed, and determining whether the bone tissue will also need reshaping.
- You’ll also discuss your options for anesthesia during this planning stage. While most patients find that a local anesthetic is sufficient for managing the pain of crown lengthening, your dentist might recommend sedation if you are particularly anxious about dental procedures.
- You’ll receive specific instructions for preparation before surgery, which might include securing a ride home if you’ll be sedated, or refraining from blood-thinning medications like aspirin for an allotted amount of time. Make sure you ask clarifying questions as needed.
The crown lengthening procedure itself is performed right there in the dentist’s office. On the day of your procedure, when you arrive in the dentist’s chair, they’ll anesthetize you – providing sedation if it is being used before numbing the area around the surgical site with a local anesthetic. The procedure begins with the dentist carefully pulling the gum tissue away so that the bone and tooth are accessible. If necessary, a minimal amount of bone might be removed, sculpted away so that more of the tooth is exposed. The area behind the gums is rinsed before the gums are repositioned and sutured in place, creating a redesigned gum line. Depending on the number of teeth being lengthened, the whole procedure can usually be completed in under an hour, and the total visit shouldn’t last more than an hour or two. Your dentist will check in with you periodically, making sure you’re sufficiently numb and otherwise comfortable during your procedure.
Healing from crown lengthening begins the moment the procedure ends. If your crown lengthening procedure was done to prepare your teeth for crowns, veneers, or restorations, the gum tissue is given time to heal before the restoration is placed. Dentists usually wait several weeks before placing a restoration, giving the gums time to heal and adjust to their new position, though you’ll probably feel like you’ve recovered from crown lengthening more quickly than that. Your dentist will give you specific guidelines to ensure that you heal as efficiently as possible, and closely following these guidelines will help you guarantee your own future of confident, comfortable smiles.
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