What is Crown Lengthening & Why Is It Essential?

How A Gum Shortening Procedure Can Help Fix Broken Teeth & Tooth Decay

You may have gone in for a simple cavity or crown procedure, and had your dentist inform you of the need for a surgical procedure to have your crowns lengthened. What exactly does that mean? Is it really necessary? Here is more information about why your simple procedure became a surgery, and what it means for you.

What Is Crown Lengthening?

Simply put, crown lengthening is a surgical procedure that reduces gum tissue and shaves down bone when necessary to expose more tooth surface. This can be done to one tooth, the gum line, or several teeth, depending on the reason for the surgery. Its purpose is to reshape the gums at the base of the desired tooth to expose more surface for a crown to adhere to and stay in place.

Typically, your gums need at least 2mm of tooth surface to bond with to prevent trapped food, bacteria growth, inflammation, or other issues. If a tooth has been broken off, is short, or decayed, a Gilbert dentist will use crown lengthening to increase the amount of exposed, healthy tooth. This prevents your crown procedure from weakening and falling off, and ultimately being in vain.

Why Crown Lengthening Might Be Necessary

A crown lengthening procedure is performed for a number of reasons: short tooth, tooth decay below the gum line, and a fractured or broken tooth. Having a broken tooth or severe tooth decay will negatively affect the remaining healthy tooth area, and ultimately affect the potential of a healthy crown placement. When more of the tooth surface area is exposed through crown lengthening, restorative work such as crowns or veneers are much more likely to be successful.

The surgical procedure is quite simple and usually lasts no more than an hour. The dentist in Gilbert will give you local anesthetic, and then use specialized instruments to reshape the gum tissue and underlying bone for each tooth that needs to be addressed. You can rest assured that only the affected tooth (or teeth) will be treated, and none of the surrounding teeth will have any risk.

Gilbert Vista Dental Care

If you need to have a crown lengthening procedure done, it is best to find a reputable dentist to perform the surgery. Gilbert Vista Dental Care specializes in all types of cosmetic dentistry services, and will do an exceptional job with your crown lengthening and other restorative dentistry work. Dr. Peck has almost 20 years of experience and is deeply committed to patient comfort and satisfaction. To consult with our dental team and learn more about our services, contact Gilbert Vista Dental Care today at (480) 503-5467.

Gilbert Vista Dental Care
2451 East Baseline Road #210
Gilbert, AZ 85234
Phone: (480) 503-5467
Email: info@drritapeck.com
Website: https://drritapeck.com/