There are a few main reasons for people to undergo crown lengthening procedures: to balance the appearance of a smile that may appear excessively gummy, to expose more of the tooth for hygiene reasons, and to expose enough tooth surface to accommodate a dental crown. If you’re considering crown lengthening for aesthetic purposes, the decision of whether to proceed is largely up to you; after all, aesthetics are subjective. However, there are some measurements your dentist can take to determine what your ideal tooth-to-gum ratio might be, and your dentist can provide feedback and insights about your desired aesthetic goals. If your dentist recommends crown lengthening because your gums are interfering with your oral hygiene, or if you need a crown to protect or repair a broken or decayed tooth, crown lengthening might be more of a necessity than an aesthetic preference. If gingival tissue interferes with your ability to adequately and thoroughly brush and floss, crown lengthening can make it much easier to maintain these key hygiene practices and keep tooth decay and gum disease at bay.
Whether your goals are aesthetic, restorative, or a combination of both, crown lengthening can help upgrade your smile and improve your oral health. The overall crown lengthening procedure varies depending on the purpose of the treatment.
Crown Lengthening to Repair a Gummy Smile:
If your goals are largely aesthetic, your periodontist might determine that some minor adjustments with a gingivectomy are sufficient to make your smile appear less gummy. This is largely a matter of preference, as some people are bothered by gummy smiles that have little influence over their oral health. In this procedure, the periodontist trims overgrown gum tissue and sculpts a more even, symmetrical gum line that exposes a slightly greater ratio of tooth surface before suturing the new gum line in place.
Crown Lengthening to Prepare for a Dental Crown Restoration:
Dental crowns serve important functional purposes along with the possible cosmetic enhancements they provide. A crown is designed to fully cover the exposed surface of a natural tooth. If the tooth is decayed, cracked, fractured, or otherwise structurally weakened or compromised, a crown can be used to reinforce its structure and help restore its function while protecting it from further damage. This can also mean preserving a tooth that might otherwise need to be extracted. Especially in the case of damaged teeth, however, there might not be a sufficient amount of natural tooth surface available to support a crown. This is where crown lengthening comes in. If your dentist recommends crown lengthening to accommodate a restoration like a dental crown, know that the crown, once placed, is doing important, necessary work, and take their recommendations to heart. Of course, the aesthetic benefits of repairing a damaged tooth are also nothing to scoff at.
Crown Lengthening to Support Oral Hygiene and Reduce Risks of Tooth Decay:
In some cases, excessive gum tissue can interfere with the ability to thoroughly clean the teeth, increasing the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. When tooth decay does develop, a crown might be needed to repair the tooth. However, the excessive gum tissue that caused the issue originally will continue to cause problems as it interferes with crown placement. This means that crown lengthening might be needed in order to repair problems that could have been solved with preemptive crown lengthening. To prevent the need for restorative crown lengthening surgery, some people who find that their hygiene is affected by excessive gingival tissue choose to have crown lengthening surgery preventatively, with the goal of reducing the likelihood of tooth decay and improving their oral hygiene.
While the reasons for an interest in crown lengthening range from aesthetic to clinical, the truth is that the procedure can help improve a person’s confidence while enhancing their oral health. If you want to know if you need crown lengthening, ask your dentist. They can help you determine whether the procedure could benefit you and answer any questions you might have about the procedure and its potential outcomes.
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