Crown Lengthening Procedure in Victoria
Our periodontist at Dr. Todd Jones Periodontics and Implant Dentistry, in Victoria can use crown lengthening to help improve the health of gum tissue or correct a 'gummy smile'.
What is Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening procedure is generally performed to improve the health of the gum tissue or to prepare the mouth for restorative or cosmetic procedures. In addition, crown lengthening procedures can also be used to correct a “gummy” smile, where teeth are covered with excess gum tissue.
Crown lengthening exposes more of the natural tooth by reshaping or recontouring bone and gum tissue. This treatment can be performed on a single tooth, many teeth, or the entire gum line, exposing an aesthetically pleasing smile.
Reasons for Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a versatile and common procedure that has many effective uses and benefits. The vast majority of patients who have undergone this type of surgery are delighted with the results.
Periodontal disease can cause severe damage to the teeth, as can trauma and decay. Where teeth have been broken beneath the gum line, crown lengthening can be used to prepare the area for a new restoration to correct the damaged teeth.
Extra gum tissue can make teeth look unnaturally short and can also increase susceptibility to periodontal infections. Removing excess gum tissue can help to restore a balanced, healthy look and improve the aesthetic appearance of the smile.
Crown lengthening provides more space between the supporting jawbone and the dental crown. This prevents the new crown from damaging gum tissues and bone once it is in place.
The Crown Lengthening Procedure
Our periodontist will make a series of small incisions around the soft tissue to separate the gums away from the teeth. Separating the gums provides your dentist with access to the roots of the teeth and the underlying bone.
In some cases, the removal of a small amount of tissue will provide enough tooth exposure to place a crown. In other cases, your dentist will also need to remove a small amount of bone from around the teeth.
Your dentist will secure the surgical site using an intraoral (periodontal) bandage which serves to prevent infection. Prescriptions may be provided for pain medication, and a chlorhexidine (antimicrobial) mouth rinse may be given to help reduce any bacteria attempting to re-colonize.
The teeth will look noticeably longer immediately after surgery because the gums will have been repositioned.