Crown Lengthening Services in Abilene, TX
You may have asked your periodontist about procedures to improve a "gummy" smile because your teeth appear short. Your teeth may actually be the proper length, but they're covered with too much gum tissue. To correct this, your periodontist performs crown lengthening. Dr. Teri Brooks Lovelace offers this procedure for all of our clients.
During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissues are reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth, several teeth or even your whole gum line to expose a natural, broad smile.
Your dentist or periodontist may also recommend crown lengthening to make a restorative or cosmetic dental procedure possible. Perhaps your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the gum and bone levels to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored. Dr. Lovelace of Abilene, TX is an expert in these procedures.
When Is Crown Lengthening Necessary?
Crown lengthening is the attempt to improve the success rate of restorative dental appliances by exposing more of the tooth’s healthy surface area. If a tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient crown height; there might not be enough tooth structure available to accommodate restoration procedures, such as a crown or bridge. In these instances, crown lengthening surgery may be necessary in order to provide more tooth structure for your dentist to work with.
What are the benefits?
While many people choose to have crown lengthening to improve the appearance of their smile, there are also a couple other benefits. First, crown lengthening can improve oral health. If you have poor gum health, this procedure may be able to help prevent further gum diseases. Second, crown lengthening can benefit those who suffer from a cracked tooth. Rather than replacing the entire tooth, crown lengthening will remove some of the gum to place a new crown on the tooth.
