Clinical review: Dr. Samreen Ejaz, BDS, RDS ·
Why your tooth might need it
When a tooth breaks or decays down to the gumline, or below it, there may not be enough sound tooth showing for a crown or filling to grip and seal. Crown lengthening moves the gum, and sometimes a little bone, to expose more tooth. It’s occasionally discussed for an uneven gumline too, but we’ll be clear about which purpose it’s serving for you.
Is the tooth worth saving?
Before suggesting it, Dr. Samreen checks the gum and bone around the tooth, how much tooth is left and how the neighbouring teeth would be affected. Sometimes the honest answer is that the tooth isn’t worth the work, or that another approach keeps more of its support. The examination and X-ray help us decide together.
What the procedure involves
Under local anaesthetic, the gum around the tooth is reshaped and, where needed, a small amount of the bone underneath too. How much depends on what we find. The gum then needs time to heal before the final crown or filling goes on, so it won’t usually happen at the same visit. We’ll plan both stages together and tell you the timings.
Healing and aftercare
Clean gently around the area as we show you, chew on the other side for a while and leave any stitches alone. Keep the healing check before we move on to the crown. The tooth may feel a little sensitive and can look longer than before, which we’ll talk through beforehand. If pain or swelling gets worse instead of better, contact us.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Questions about crown lengthening
Is it just trimming a bit of gum?
Sometimes that’s all it is. Other times the bone needs reshaping too. We’ll tell you exactly what your tooth needs.
Will my tooth look longer?
It might, because more of it will show. That matters most for front teeth, so we’ll discuss how it will look before you decide.
This is general information. What’s right for your tooth depends on what Dr. Samreen finds when she examines it.
Background reading: American Academy of Periodontology: surgical procedures. These are overseas sources, so their prices and rules don’t apply here.