What is the Crown Lengthening Procedure?

Simply put, a crown lengthening mobile al is the procedure to make your tooth look longer. Specifically, there are some variations due to the reasoning behind the objectives. Let’s look at those first and that will explain the slight differences in the procedure itself.

Why have a Crown Lengthening Procedure?

There are two major categories to address. The first is a functional crown lengthening. If you have a tooth that is broken off at the gum line and the dentist is suggesting a crown, more of the tooth will need to be exposed to make the process work. The crown lengthening procedure will then be performed on just this one tooth to facilitate the reconstructive work.

The second category is cosmetic. When you look at yourself in the mirror and smile do you see more gums proportionally to white teeth. This situation is fondly referred to as a gummy smile. The crown lengthening procedure can address this issue by subjecting all the visible teeth to the procedure. The end result is more white teeth showing and less gums.

The Simple Steps of the Crown Lengthening Procedure

If is quite common to get a full set of x-rays prior to getting started. They serve as a very good road map for your dentist moving forward. It also sometimes the case to professionally clean all your teeth. Once again, just a good starting point. Then, whether the procedure is being performed on just one tooth or a number of teeth, the first step of the procedure itself is to administer a local anesthetic to all the soft tissue involved. Once the gums are numb the traditional method is to simple trim the gum line with a surgical scalpel. The soft tissue is pulled away exposing more of the root of the tooth. If necessary the dentist may have to use sutures on some of the gums depending on the depth of the incision.

An alternative method that is growing in popularity is the use of a laser. The laser can quickly remove the unwanted soft tissue and then it will cauterize the tissue at the same time minimizing any bleeding.

Healing Time and the Benefits of a Crown Lengthening Procedure

For the first few hours following the procedure it may be best to keep some ice on your face over the surgical area to minimize any swelling. If you had stitches put in you will return to the dentist in a week and have them removed. You will be advised to eat soft foods for a few days and try not to drink hot fluids. The area may ache for a couple of days but an over the counter pain reliever can reduce that.

By having this simple procedure the dentist can proceed with a crown to repair that damaged tooth and your smile is back to normal. Or, if the objective was to correct a gummy smile, then there will be no comparison after you see the results. Your smile is an invaluable asset to determining who you are.

More on Crown Lengthening : Pain, Healing, & Risks of Crown Lengthening