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Why you may need crown lengthening Sometimes, people may have excessive gum showing when they smile or the teeth appear shorter than ideal because of excess gum covering them. In this case, cosmetic crown lengthening can be done to improve the appearance of your teeth and gums. It involves removing excess gum tissue so that more of your natural tooth is revealed. This may be a sole treatment or may be done before having a veneer or crown placed. Depending on treatment needs, a little of the bone around the neck of the tooth may need to be removed also.
Crown lengthening may also be needed in cases of tooth fracture or decay on the tooth root surface as it will aid in the restorative need of the tooth.
Scenarios where crown lengthening may not be considered a suitable treatment include poor oral hygiene and/or gum infection, thin gum tissue, presence of long clinical crowns on front teeth, un-restorable teeth, insufficient tooth root length and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, which increases the risk of oral disease.
Preparation for Crown Lengthening The dentist will examine your mouth and assess suitability for crown lengthening treatment. An x-ray and photograph of the teeth will be taken. Impressions may be taken for study models and diagnostic wax ups which mimics the final appearance of the teeth (with crown/veneer restoration if appropriate). This gives you the opportunity to see what your teeth will look like afterwards.
