Services > Periodontics > Crown-Lengthening
If there is not enough space between a filling or crown and the gum tissue, irritated gums may result. In these cases, more of the tooth above the gums needs to be exposed to provide more space. In other cases, too much gum tissue makes the tooth appear “short” and leaves a gummy smile.
Crown-lengthening is performed to expose more of the tooth, by gently removing some of the gum tissue, or underlying and surrounding bone. This can be done under local anesthesia. The length of the procedure depends on how many teeth are involved, and how much gum tissue or bone needs to be trimmed. Even if only one tooth is affected, crown-lengthening may occur on adjacent teeth to even out the appearance.
Crown-lengthening is an extremely useful procedure that provides extra space for fillings and crowns, and can also help to reduce gummy smiles.
