There are two purposes to use crown lengthening.
The first is to have a good crown by providing enough retention structure. A crown is an excellent way to cover and protect a tooth that has fractured or been damaged by decay or injury. Sometimes, however, the damage is so extensive that there simply isn’t enough tooth structure to support a crown. In these cases, we can often use a minor surgical procedure called crown lengthening.
This procedure increases the amount of available tooth structure so that the tooth can support a crown, which is the best choice for covering and protecting the tooth.
The first step in crown lengthening is to thoroughly numb the entire area. Incisions are made in the gums around the tooth, and then the gums are gently pulled back. Next, the bone and gum tissue are reshaped to reveal just enough of the natural tooth to create a secure anchor for a crown. The gums are replaced, and a couple of stitches are placed to speed healing. In some cases, we may also build up the tooth using a post and buildup material. After a few weeks of healing, a crown is placed to cover and protect the damaged tooth. The crown restores your damaged tooth to normal health, appearance, and chewing function. Crown lengthening is a predictable and effective way to save a tooth that might otherwise be lost.
The other one is to make a longer crown for cosmetic reason. If you have really short front teeth and /or gummy smile, you would be a good indication for it. We make a template from your own teeth to determine how much longer teeth we want to. This template is translucent so that you can see the ideal location of the gum lines when you wear it for the procedure. This crown lengthening can be done for a single tooth or group of eight teeth to improve your smile. You may need porcelain veneers to cover the tooth outside appearance to improve the smile. The procedure is the same with previous description. It should be done more carefully due to cosmetic criteria.
Please contact Dr. Kim at 661-253-3030 or www.cinemadentalcare.com if you have any questions.