Functional Crown Lengthening

The "crown" is the part of a tooth visible above the gumline. Sometimes more of the tooth below the gums must be exposed to fill a cavity near the gumline or place a new crown on a broken tooth. "Crown lengthening" provides more tooth structure for this to to be done. This helps to ensure that the general dental procedure is successful and prevents gum irritation.

Procedure: The periodontist administers a local anesthetic and gently recontours excess gum and bone tissue to expose more of your natural tooth.

Aesthetic Crown Lengthening

Sometimes the teeth are quite small in relation to the gum tissue. This can create an unattractive "gummy" smile. An uneven gum line can also be distracting.

The gum line, and the bone just beneath the gum line, can be lowered to change the appearance of your smile. This can create a more even gum line or make the teeth appear longer. "Gingival (gum) contouring" is the process of recontouring the gum only. "Crown lengthening" refers to recontouring of both gum and supporting bone.

Procedure: Your periodontist administers a local anesthetic and gently recontours excess gum and bone tissue to expose more of your natural teeth.