Crown Lengthening is a surgical procedure performed by a dentist, in order to remove gum tissue around a tooth, thus lengthening the crown or degree of enamel exposed.
There are several different reasons why a crown lengthening procedure will be required for a patient - with the most common reason being preparation for a prosthetic restoration. Removing excess gum covering the tooth serves to prepare a tooth that is getting ready for the placement of an artificial tooth crown, through exposing more of the natural tooth structure for adequate attachment.
Another potential reason for the procedure is to gain access to subgingival tooth decay or perforations for treatment, as these issues would otherwise be inaccessible due to their positioning below the gum line.
Lastly, another common goal is purely cosmetic: to improve the appearance of a “gummy” smile, which describes a mouth that displays disproportionately more gum than tooth when smiling.
A typical crown lengthening procedure often takes no longer than an hour to carry out. During this process, the dental surgeon or specialist performs crown lengthening surgery through the re-contouring of the gum tissue, and in some cases the bone, as well, in order to expose more area of a tooth or teeth’s surfaces. The area will then be stitched up following surgery.
Regarding recovery, it should take around 7-10 days until the stitches are ready to be removed - followed by recovery of the gums, which can take up to 3 months.
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