Perfecting Your Smile With Crown Lengthening: What, Why, and How?

Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure performed by a dentist or periodontist. The procedure involves removing soft tissue and sometimes bone to address problems  under the gumline or the gums themselves.

Dentists do this procedure for cosmetic purposes or health purposes. A cosmetic procedure involves removing some tissue and reshaping the gumline to give a more appealing appearance.

A patient may have a crown lengthening procedure for injuries or bacteria under the gumline. The dentist removes a small amount of tissue to gain access to the issue and treat it.

People have crown lengthening procedures for several reasons. Sometimes the motivation is cosmetic, and sometimes it’s treating something that poses a health hazard.

Some people have a crown lengthening procedure because they have a gummy smile. A gummy smile is one that has at least 3 mm of exposed gum. Since the gums are unusually big, the teeth appear unusually small even though they may be an average size.

A crown lengthening procedure may give the dentist access to a cavity, a broken tooth, or an infection under the gumline. Sometimes the diseased tissue needs to be removed and other times, the dentist removes the gum in order to fix another problem.

Crown lengthening can help the patient in several ways:

• Improve smile proportions
• Fill a cavity
• Relieve pain
• Prevent the spread of infection to the jaw and other areas of the body

Crown lengthening isn’t right for everyone, so speak with a dentist in Milford to find out if you’re a suitable candidate for the procedure. Book an appointment with Milford Family Dental today!