Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening (or crown exposure) is required when your tooth needs a new crown or other restoration and the edge of that tooth is deep below the gum tissue and not accessible. Your dentist needs to be able to visualize the edge of the tooth surface so that a proper crown can be made.

The crown lengthening procedure involves adjusting the level of the gum tissue and bone around the tooth in question to expose the buried tooth surface. This allows your dentist to reach the edge of the tooth (or broken filling), ensuring a proper fit to the crown. The crown lengthening procedure is also used to provide enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future. This allows you to clean the edge of the restoration when you brush and floss to prevent decay and gum disease. The procedure takes approximately one hour.

When the procedure is completed, sutures, and a protective bandage are placed to help secure the new gum-to-tooth relationship. You will need to be seen in one or two weeks to remove the sutures and evaluate your healing. Generally it takes 4-6 weeks of total healing before you can go to your dentist to have your crown finalized.