Cosmetic Crown Lengthening by Periodontist Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis DDS, MS

Your gum line plays an important role in the esthetics of your smile. 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 effectively and painlessly expose more of your natural tooth structure to improve your smile and also improve your periodontal health. Contact Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis for a free consultation.

What Is Cosmetic Crown Lengthening?

Crown lengthening is a very straight-forward 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 actually lengthen your crowns; instead, it exposes more of the natural tooth by removing parts of the gum.

The technique has been used for years to access parts of the tooth needing repair that are covered by the gums. Some people's gums simply obscure more of their tooth than other people's do. Today, crown lengthening is one of the most common types of cosmetic periodontal surgery. There are still a number of instances where it is also employed to improve your periodontal health, as well. Sometimes it is also used prior to other periodontal surgeries to prepare the teeth and gums for the later procedure. It may also require the removal of small amounts of bone if your bone is also covering your natural tooth.

People that have overly gummy smiles often actually have teeth of normal size. Larger amounts of gum tissue may just be hiding 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 may be used on the bottom as well. When used for medical purposes, it can be applied to any tooth in any area of the mouth.

Why Is Crown Lengthening Important?

Having a good smile that you're proud of is one of the best ways to boost your self-confidence. You should never have to be ashamed of the way that your teeth look, and a gummy smile can unfortunately be less than ideal or even embarrassing. Crown lengthening is a relatively fast and pain-free way to improve your smile when you have a gummy smile or an uneven gum line.

Along with cosmetic reasons for this surgery, there are also several notable health benefits and other important reasons that may require you to have crown lengthening performed. Sometimes tooth decay and even tooth fractures can occur below the gum line where you can't actually see. 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 also sometimes calls for more tooth surface to complete the restoration. Veneers and crowns often need a certain amount of tooth to be exposed in order to be successful, so the gum line needs to be adjusted to access more of the natural tooth. More surface area dramatically improves veneer retention, so crown lengthening might be a prerequisite.

The Crown Lengthening Process

Most crown lengthening procedures are very straight-forward 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. Small pieces of bone are also removed at the same time if more than soft tissue is obscuring the teeth.

After the procedure is complete, the area is cleaned with sterile salt water and stitched as necessary. Depending on the extent of the surgery performed, a dressing or bandage may be applied to the site. You are then free to go home and can return to your normal daily activities the following day. There is little to no post-operative discomfort. Mild pain and swelling following the surgery can be treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications or by applying an ice pack to the affected area.

Crown Lengthening Recovery

Stitches, dressing and protective bandages can be removed from the surgical area usually after only a week. Your new tooth and gum relationship will be established and completely healed after approximately 6 weeks. Your gums will shrink slightly as they reattach to the surface of your teeth and the changes made are permanent.

During the healing process you'll want to brush your teeth very gently and carefully at the surgical site. You may also find it easier to only eat soft foods for the first few weeks.

If crown lengthening was performed in order to repair damage, then your recovery process will be much the same as if the procedure was performed for cosmetic reasons. If you needed crown lengthening for any type of restoration like crowns or veneers, your temporary crowns may be attached after 2 weeks. The final crowns can be applied at 4-6 weeks.

Schedule a Free Consultation

If cosmetic crown lengthening in Nassau County is something you're interested in, then you can find out more. Contact Dr. Stephanie Sfiroudis and schedule a free consultation. You can get the smile you've always wanted. The office takes care of any necessary insurance paperwork and accepts almost every insurance program. There are even financing options available so that you can afford that perfect smile. Ask to find out if you qualify.

Receding gum treatment is important to keep your smile looking great and protect your oral health for years to come. Ignoring gum recession can actually lead to your teeth becoming loose and falling out or your teeth needing to be extracted.