How Long Does Crown Lengthening Take?

The actual crown lengthening surgical procedure usually takes less than an hour to perform, but the entire process involves so many more steps. From your initial evaluation to determine your objectives to the healing and recovery process you now are looking at several months from start to finish. Let’s look at the reasons why you might consider crown lengthening, the list of steps walking through the entire process and then the benefits you can enjoy upon completion.

The Reasons behind the Decision to have a Crown Lengthening Procedure

There are two main categories that dictate the procedure. If you are looking at a broken tooth or a tooth that has experienced a lot of damaging decay, your logic may be a functional repair. The dentist may need to remove some of the soft tissue to expose more of the tooth to make the addition of a new crown possible. The second category is one of cosmetic orientation. It is said that 33% of young Americans today don’t care for their smile. One of those reasons is an imbalance of gums to white teeth during that smile. Called a gummy smile it is when the proportions are out of sync regarding your teeth. Too much gum, not enough teeth. This visually can be corrected easily with a
crown lengthening.

The Steps from Beginning to End of a Crown Lengthening

It is not an immediate, in and out of the office decision. Your dentist will start with capturing some x-rays and reviewing them with you. Once you have both evaluated your particular situation a surgery will be scheduled with a periodontist. The actual surgery is quite simple. After the administration of a local anesthetic to numb the soft tissue involved the dentist will proceed in trimming away the excessive tissue with a surgical scalpel. This traditional method may require sutures to mend the incision.

A new method growing in popularity is the introduction of a dental laser. The laser can precisely remove the desired amount of tissue and cauterize the incision as the same time minimizing any bleeding and expediting the recovery process.

Recovery and healing will be a deliberate process. A dressing may be applied over the incision initially and ice may be advantageous as well to control swelling. You will need to monitor physical activity for at least a day and follow a soft diet and to stay away from hot foods. You can’t brush your teeth in the surgical area for at least 24 hours and then you will want to rinse with a warm salt water solution to enhance healing. After a short period of time your dentist can proceed with the crown to repair the tooth. If your intentions where cosmetic, once the soft tissue has recovered, you are good to go.

The Benefits of Crown Lengthening

We don’t ever put a value on your smile, but it is priceless. Directly associated with your self-esteem and your self-confidence, there is unlimited value. The benefits of crown lengthening center around your smile and your well-being. Enjoy YOU.

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