How Crown Lengthening Can Benefit Your Smile
Your smile is often the first feature that people notice about you, meaning that you should want your pearly whites to look and feel their absolute best! There are many available treatments these days that your dentist can perform to help with this, and one you might not have heard of is crown lengthening. Keep reading to learn a little more about this unique and innovative procedure, what it involves, and how it benefits your smile.
What Is Crown Lengthening?
When you have too little gum tissue, it’s typically fixed through gum graft surgery and/or periodontal treatment; however, when you have too much gum tissue, crown lengthening is often utilized. This procedure involves the removal of excess periodontal tissue around one or more teeth to prevent crowns from seeming too close to the gum line. Simply put, it helps your teeth to not look quite so short, and eliminates what’s referred to as a “gummy” smile!
The Benefits of Crown Lengthening
There are many potential benefits to receiving crown lengthening, such as:
- Saves your teeth – If a natural crown has broken but the tooth is still salvageable, it might be necessary to remove excess gum tissue from around the tooth before a dental crown can be fitted.
- Improves your smile – A multi-tooth crown lengthening procedure can even out an inconsistent gumline and give your smile less of a gummy appearance.
- Reduces the risk of decay – Oral health problems like tooth decay are less likely to worsen with normal gums versus “high” gums because high gums cover a larger surface area of your teeth, which prevent them from being cleaned quite as thoroughly.
- Enables extraction (if necessary) – Sometimes a tooth extraction might require removal of excess periodontal tissue around the tooth in question to ensure a safe and quick extraction.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Crown Lengthening?
Generally, crown lengthening is performed on patients with protruding gums or an uneven gumline, as well as patients with teeth that appear shorter than normal. Your dentist can easily determine if it’s a suitable treatment option for your smile; for many patients, it’s a one-time deal that lasts for life and solves a variety of problems that can inhibit your smile’s overall wellness and beauty.