Crown lengthening is a procedure that elongates your teeth by exposing a little more of the crown or root from under the gums. There are multiple reasons why you may need or want crown lengthening, and we can make sure the results look natural.
Before your crown lengthening procedure at Dental Specialists of New Jersey, we make sure that your gums and teeth are as healthy as possible. You also need to have sufficient bone in the jaw to support your teeth.
You won’t feel any discomfort during the crown lengthening procedure because we provide local anesthesia before the surgery. If you’re anxious about your procedure, have a strong gag reflex, or just feel uncomfortable sitting in a dental chair for an extended period of time, you also have the option for sedation.
Crown lengthening serves purposes in both cosmetic and restorative dentistry. You might consider the procedure for these reasons:
Cosmetic reasons for crown lengthening
You might consider crown lengthening if you have a gummy smile, which means you can see a substantial amount of gum tissue when you grin. Crown lengthening makes your teeth look longer and shortens the visible gum tissue.
Restorative reasons for crown lengthening
Crown lengthening also prepares you for necessary dental restorations. Your dentist might need to lengthen the crown of a tooth to remove decay from under the gumline or provide more space for the crown.
Regardless of its purpose, you can expect minimal post-operative discomfort and a total of a four-week to six-week wait time after your crown lengthening procedure before you can place permanent crowns. For your recovery to go smoothly, you should follow all of your dentist’s instructions closely on how to clean the treatment site, what you can and can’t eat, and when you can continue your necessary dental work.
Our team at Dental Specialists of New Jersey might prescribe pain medication to manage your discomfort.
