Crown Lengthening

Why Consider Crown Lengthening

A smile is often one of the first things that we notice about other people. A perfect smile can inspire confidence and warmth from the beginning. That is why, at Woodyard Dental Care, we understand the importance of getting the smile that you want so that you can live the confident life that you deserve.

Smiles can be affected by a myriad of different issues, but for patients who feel like their teeth look too short, or their gums are too long, it can often be difficult for them to identify the reason that they feel insecure with their smile. After all, your teeth can all be perfectly white and straight, and you may have the perfect oral hygiene routine, but the gums inching their way up your teeth can cause some real stress and anxiety for our patients.

Gums can climb just a single tooth or even your entire mouth, but no matter what your needs, Woodyard Dental Care has the experience and care to take care of all your crown lengthening needs.

The Procedure

In preparation for a crown lengthening procedure, our staff will complete a full comprehensive exam that includes imaging of your teeth and gums, and sometimes a professional cleaning is also needed before the actual procedure. Once we know exactly how to treat your condition, we can schedule your appointment.

The actual procedure is done with the use of a local anesthetic, meaning that the area we are treating will be numb and you will not feel discomfort, but that you will be awake throughout the procedure. Even if crown lengthening is only needed for a single tooth, the operation usually requires some work on the neighboring teeth as well to ensure the gum tissue transitions smoothly and exposes your perfect smile.

Sometimes bone tissue and gum tissue need to be removed in order to correct the issue. If bone needs to be removed, the surgery can take longer than if just soft tissue has to be removed. The tissue is then cut back to expose the teeth. Once enough of the tissue has been removed, the area is cleaned and sterilized, and the gum tissue is stitched back together.

During your recovery, you will need to take special care of the stitches, although we generally still recommend brushing your teeth, just taking care to avoid the gums. There are also some other general rules that we will send you home with to ensure that the healing process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Recovery

Complete recovery will generally take a few months to be completely healed, but the stitches are removed after just over a week. Once the stitches have been removed, you will be scheduled for an additional follow-up appointment about four to six weeks after the procedure. If you require a crown to be placed, our staff will wait until your gums have completely recovered, about three months after the surgery.

Overview

If you feel that your gums cover up too much of your teeth, or that your teeth just look too short, contact Woodyard Dental Care today to schedule your consultation. We can help you get the smile you have always dreamed about.