Do your gums protrude when you smile or are your teeth too short? There is a procedure that rectifies this condition called crown lengthening.
In simple terms, crown lengthening is a gum lift. Sometimes gums take up too much of your teeth space, creating a gummy smile. We can rectify the condition by pulling up your gums using laser treatment. By definition, crown lengthening is the removal of excessive gum tissue to produce an aesthetically pleasing smile.
However, the procedure is not entirely for cosmetic purposes. As the name suggests, the intervention involves the crown. Therefore, anytime the tooth caps need work, we perform the procedure for perfect finishing. It can affect you immensely if you came in for crown replacement and we left the gums irregularly holding the caps.
THE CROWN LENGTHENING PROCEDURE
At our practice, Dr. Patel can perform crown lengthening. Three techniques rectify different issues.
Gingivectomy
We surgically remove extra gum tissue (gingiva) using a scalpel, laser, or electrocautery in this procedure. However, this shouldn’t worry you since you will be under local anesthesia during the process.
The procedure is necessary when the gums pull down to form deep pockets. The folding interferes with cleaning. Left untreated, it can result in plaque buildup – that can eventually destroy the jaw bone.
Apically Repositioned Flap Surgery
Aside from lengthening your crown, we use this technique to maximally preserve the amount of keratinized gums when treating periodontal disease. The procedure entails creating a flap of the gum, removing extra tissue under the flap, and stitching the flap.
Orthodontic Extrusion
Excessive gums can misalign teeth. We reposition teeth by moving them to the desired location in this procedure. We perform the technique to rectify crookedness from teeth cracking inside the gum, treating periodontal and bony defects, or developing an implant site.
All the techniques in crown lengthening have a permanent outcome. The procedure is a one-stage surgery. Regardless of the reasons behind the intervention, the intervention has many cosmetic and functional benefits.
COSMETIC BENEFITS
Beautiful Smile
A gummy smile is not aesthetically pleasing. Gum overgrowth makes the teeth appear out of proportion and protrude when you open your mouth. It can be uncomfortable to open your mouth in public – let alone smile.
Crown lengthening fixes this problem. It removes the gum overgrowth and exposes your teeth’ symmetry. Only a good portion of your teeth shows when you talk after the procedure.
Confidence Boost
The humiliation that comes with the judgment of having excessive gums is overwhelming. Gum overgrowth is wrongly associated with poor oral health and bad breath. Therefore, it can bring anxiety and considerable distress during communication or social interaction.
Crown lengthening aids in improving your esteem. The procedure exposes your perfect dental structure hidden within gingiva tissue. The procedure’s outcome will have you smiling at anything – most importantly, the reflection in the mirror.
FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS
The Procedure Preserves Teeth Integrity
The essence of crown lengthening is to adjust the gum and bone level to eliminate irregularities. Aside from cosmetic purposes, the procedure corrects gum placement anomalies after other interventions. For instance, when covering eroded teeth with a new crown, we finalize the process by adjusting the gum to create a perfect finish – this maintains the symmetry of your teeth.
In the case of misalignments from subgingival fractures, the procedure helps position the tooth. Thus, giving balance to your dental structure. Where irregularities from placement and sizing are concerned, crown lengthening also restores other teeth insufficiencies. For example, it can fix altered passive eruption (APE), a condition where permanent teeth remain in the gums instead of pushing through as they emerge.
Enhances Dental Hygiene
One crucial disadvantage of gum overgrowth is an inability to clean teeth effectively. Excess gingiva hides portions of your crown, creating a favorable condition for tooth-decaying bacteria. The decay can spread rapidly into the jaw bone.
Additionally, gum overgrowth also results in plaque buildup. The bacterial biofilm causes gum inflammation, which is sensitive and painful to manage. Plaque hardens with time making it impossible to clean your teeth thoroughly.
As if that is not enough, poor oral hygiene also causes bad breath. Teeth bacteria produce smelly metabolic by-products that cannot be eliminated by flossing. The good news is crown lengthening eradicates all these problems.
It Avails Additional Teeth Structure for Restorative Procedures
Sometimes a patient wants to have a dental procedure to eliminate a problem, but there is insufficient crown space to perform the intervention. In such cases, we perform crown lengthening to increase teeth area.
Enhances Teeth Functions
Chewing, eating, biting, and speaking can be difficult with overgrown gums. Harboring destructive bacteria and poor dental hygiene enhance pain and discomfort when performing dental functions. Inflamed gums and decaying teeth make eating a daunting task. Patients shy away from flossing because the pain is unbearable.
Crown lengthening solves this problem enabling you to eat, drink and talk without a care in the world. The procedure is quick and is only performed once. After the intervention, you can enjoy food and the eating process.
It Limits Gum Disease and Infection
Overgrown gingiva increases your vulnerability to gum disease. The extra layer of gum tissue has a higher propensity of attracting bacteria. With time, gum disease quickly moves to the jaw bone. Destruction in the jaw tissue eventually affects the entire dental structure.
Crown lengthening restores gums destroyed by periodontitis. We perform a gingivectomy to salvage the integrity of the gum. During the technique, we remove loose gingiva tissue using laser treatment.
Furthermore, crown lengthening reduces your vulnerability to gum disease. We advise on maintaining oral hygiene to enhance oral health. Brushing your teeth is a preventive approach for oral disease and infection.
CONTACT US
Excess gingiva is an overwhelming condition. It can increase sensitivity in performing public functions. Why hide your smile or abilities because of overgrown gum.
The answer is a one-time solution that results in a beautiful smile. There are no additional visits or subsequent procedures. It comes down to one procedure.
At Dynamic Smile Design, we provide all crown lengthening techniques to help you maintain that beautiful smile. Dr. Patel, and her team are skilled and experienced professionals performing many successful cosmetic and restorative dentistry procedures. The quality of services and aftercare is to ensure total healing. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
