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Crown or Tooth Lengenthing

Crown or tooth lengthening can be performed for many different reasons including to improve the health of the gum tissue, prepare the mouth for an upcoming procedure or to correct a less than aesthetically pleasing smile due to an increased amount of gum tissue covering the teeth.

Often times, crown lengthening is required when a tooth needs a new crown or other restoration. Crown lengthening allows us to reach the edge of the restoration that is deep below the gum tissue, ensuring a proper fit to the tooth as well as provide enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future. This allows you to clean the edge of the restoration when you brush and floss to prevent decay and gum disease.

The procedure involves reshaping the gum tissue and sometimes bone around the tooth to create a new gum-to-tooth ratio. A series of small incisions help separate the gums from the teeth to allow the area to be reshaped accordingly. In most cases, even if only one tooth requires lengthening, the surrounding teeth will need some adjusting as well to create an overall natural look. Crown lengthening can be performed on a single tooth, many teeth or the entire gum line.

The lengthening procedure takes approximately one hour under local anaesthetic, but will depend on the amount of teeth involved or if any bone will need to be removed as well. Noticeable results will be seen immediately after surgery since the gums have now been repositioned, showcasing your now longer teeth. However, the surgical site will take about two to three months to fully heal.