When decay occurs below the gumline, or broken or severely decayed teeth do not leave enough room for the proper restoration to be performed, it may be necessary to remove a small amount of bone and gum tissue. Your dentist may ask for this procedure before he or she makes a new crown for your tooth. Crown Lengthening procedures are done for both restorative dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line. This procedure adjusts the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored.
Sometimes crown lengthening is done to improve a "gummy" smile because the teeth appear short. The teeth may actually be the proper length but excess gum tissue may be covering these teeth. During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth.
While Dr. Delk may choose that a tooth or area needs crown lengthening prior to restorative work, he prefers to refer patients out and utilize the relationships he has with his trusted periodontal specialists for this and other periodontal procedures. This is to ensure success and the best care possible for each patient's specific situation.
