Crown lengthening is a procedure that essentially makes a tooth appears longer. A crown lengthening surgery involves the removal of gum and bone tissue to prepare a tooth for restorative dentistry or to cosmetically enhance the smile. Crown lengthening is a relatively common procedure and it can be done with a local anaesthetic. Once the patient is numbed, a small incision is made around the tooth or teeth needing crown lengthening, the extra gum tissue will be gently pulled away from the tooth so that the bone supporting the tooth is exposed. After the gum tissue is peeled back, its position is contoured to form a better position on the tooth and then a new gum line is shaped to make sure that both sides look the same.

Dental Crown Lengthening

crown lengthening

At Bangalore Dental solutions we favour pain free laser technology over traditional surgical methods as it is less invasive, more effective, the healing is faster and there is very less swelling and discomfort after the surgery.

Grossly decayed teeth or badly mutilated teeth often creates problems to dentists due to unavailability of sufficient clinical crowns for restorative procedures. Crown lengthening is performed when a tooth needs to be fixed. Sometimes, not enough of the tooth projects out above the gum, to support a filling or crown, due to

• Tooth broken close to the gum line.
• Crown or filling falls off a tooth and has decay underneath.

To place a filling or crown, the dentist needs to expose more of the tooth which is done by removing part of the gum tissue or bone using a dental laser which is precise and within the patient’s comfort zone with little or no bleeding.

Objectives of Crown Lengthening

1. Exposure of sufficient sound tooth structure in case of deep subgingival tooth fracture and carious lesion
2. To enhance retention of the restoration
3. Correct placement of margins of restorations without violating the biologic width
4. Improved esthetics in patients with uneven gingival margin and excessive gingival display (gummy smile)

Indications for Crown Lengthening

1. Restorative needs – To increase clinical crown height lost due to caries, fracture or wear
2. To access subgingival caries
3. To produce a ‘ferrule’ for restoration
4. To access a perforation in the coronal third of the root
5. To relocate margins of restorations that are impinging on biological width.
6. Aesthetics – Short teeth.
7. Uneven gingival contour – Gummy smile.

Contra-indications of Crown Lengthening

1. Inadequate crown to root ratio
2. Non-restorability of caries or root fracture
3. Esthetic compromise
4. High furcation, compromised adjacent periodontium.
5. Inadequate predictability
6. Tooth arch relationship inadequacy
7. Inability to maintain.

Using laser for crown lengthening procedure may provide many advantages such as greater precision, a relatively bloodless surgical and postsurgical course, sterilization of the surgical area, no suturing, minimal or no scar and postsurgical pain

Consult with your dentist today to discuss about laser-assisted Crown Lengthening procedure and its benefits