Cosmetic Crown Lengthening by Periodontist Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis DDS, MS
Treatment for Cosmetic Crown Lengthening by Nassau County Periodontist, Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis in Williston Park, NY 11596
Your gum line plays an important role in your smile's aesthetics. It goes hand-in-hand with your teeth being properly aligned. Having either small crowns, large gums, or both gives you what is sometimes called a "gummy smile." Dr. Sfiroudis offers cosmetic crown lengthening in Nassau County to help you painlessly expose more of your natural tooth structure, improve your smile, and support your periodontal health. Contact Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis for a consultation.
What Is Cosmetic Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening is a very straightforward outpatient procedure that reshapes your gum line. It is sometimes referred to as a gum lift, which more accurately describes what actually takes place during the surgery. The crown lengthening procedure doesn't lengthen your crowns; instead, it exposes more of your natural tooth by removing part of the gum.
The technique has been used for years to access parts of the tooth that need repair but are covered by the gums. Some people's gums obscure more of their teeth than others'. Today, crown lengthening is one of the most common cosmetic periodontal procedures. It is also used in some cases to improve periodontal health. Sometimes dentists use it before other periodontal surgeries to prepare the teeth and gums for a later procedure. It may also require removing small amounts of bone if bone is covering your natural tooth.
People with overly gummy smiles often have normal-sized teeth. More gum tissue may just hide more of each tooth, making the crowns look shorter, and the teeth look much smaller than they are. Cosmetic crown lengthening can also be used to improve the symmetry of your smile if your gum line is uneven. It is most often used on the upper gum line, but it can also be used on the bottom. When used for medical purposes, it can be applied to any tooth in any area of the mouth.
Why Is Crown Lengthening Important?
A smile you're proud of is one of the best ways to boost your self-confidence. You should never have to be ashamed of how your teeth look, and a gummy smile can be less than ideal, or even embarrassing. Crown lengthening is a relatively fast, pain-free way to improve your smile if you have a gummy smile or an uneven gum line.
Beyond cosmetics, crown lengthening offers several notable health benefits and other important reasons you may need it. Sometimes tooth decay and even tooth fractures occur below the gum line, where you can't see them. When this happens, crown lengthening is necessary to access the part of the tooth covered by the gums. It allows this damage to be effectively repaired and helps to avoid the need for tooth extractions.
Tooth restoration with crowns and veneers sometimes requires more tooth surface to complete the restoration. Veneers and crowns often need a certain amount of tooth to be exposed to be successful, so the gum line may need to be adjusted to access more of the natural tooth. More surface area dramatically improves veneer retention, so you may need crown lengthening.
The Crown Lengthening Process
Most crown lengthening procedures are very straightforward, and you can leave afterward. Portions of the gum are removed in order to make the desired or necessary changes to the gum line. Bone may also be removed if necessary. Local anesthesia is used before the process begins in order to numb the area, and then small cuts are made in the gums to remove them from the teeth. The surgeon may also remove small pieces of bone at the same time if more than soft tissue is obscuring the teeth.
After the procedure, the surgeon cleans the area with sterile saltwater and stitches as needed. Depending on the extent of the surgery performed, a dressing or bandage may be applied to the site. You can then go home and resume your normal daily activities the next day. Post-operative discomfort is minimal to none. Mild pain and swelling after surgery can be treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications or an ice pack applied to the affected area.
Crown Lengthening Recovery
Stitches, dressings, and protective bandages can usually be removed from the surgical area after only a week. Your new tooth-and-gum relationship will be established and fully healed after about 6 weeks. Your gums will shrink slightly as they reattach to the surface of your teeth, and the changes made are permanent.
During healing, brush your teeth very gently and carefully around the surgical site. You may also find it easier to only eat soft foods for the first few weeks.
If crown lengthening was performed to repair damage, your recovery will be much the same as if the procedure was done for cosmetic reasons. If you need crown lengthening for any type of restoration, such as crowns or veneers, your temporary crowns may be attached after 2 weeks. The final crowns can be applied at 4-6 weeks.
Contact Us for a Periodontal Consultation
If you're interested in cosmetic crown lengthening in Nassau County, you can learn more.
Contact Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis and schedule a consultation. Get the smile you've always wanted. The office handles all necessary insurance paperwork and accepts almost every insurance plan. Financing options are also available so you can afford that perfect smile. Ask to find out if you qualify.
