If you are in our office for some dental restoration such as getting a crown or having a cavity repaired, we may suggest to you that you need crown lengthening.

If you are suddenly faced with this possibility and confused about how a seemingly simple procedure has now turned into a surgical procedure, you are not alone. We are here to help you understand exactly what crown lengthening is and what the benefits of it are to your oral health.

Not So Long In The Tooth

A very common condition that we see is short teeth. This is exactly what it sounds like, the teeth appear short either because they have been excessively worn down or there may be too much gum tissue covering the crown of the tooth. Whatever the case, when shorter teeth need repair for things like decay that may require a crown, there is good reason to expose more of the natural tooth prior to fitting for a crown. If a crown is fit to a tooth that is too short, either because of damage or naturally occurring shortness, over time, the crown can become damaged, unstable and even fall off completely exposing the natural tooth to further damage.

Short teeth can also be a simple aesthetic or cosmetic issue as well. Reshaping the gum line to expose more of the crown of your natural teeth can greatly improve the appearance of your beautiful and healthy smile!

If you are suffering from short teeth and would like to talk to our staff about restoring your gummy smile, or if you have sustained damage to your teeth below the gum line, give our office a call and we would be happy to meet with you and discuss your options. Crown lengthening can be very beneficial to your oral health, come and ask us how!