crown lengthening

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is necessary when:

You have a broken or decayed tooth that requires a crown or bridge but the remaining piece of tooth is too short for placement and retention of the new prosthesis.

The treatment requires:

Surgery to increase the amount of undamaged tooth structure necessary to support and retain the crown or bridge. The gum tissue can then establish a healthy seal to the root surface because there now is adequate space for the gum to attach to the tooth (this is referred to as adequate’biologic width’).

Crown lengthening will provide you with the following health benefits:

Increase in the length of tooth above the gum line so that a the crown or bridge can be attached and not ‘fall off.’
Enables the gum to form a healthy seal around the tooth which will minimise inflammation and prevent bone destruction.

If you choose not to have the treatment you face the following risks:

Inability of your general dentist to install a satisfactory new crown or bridge.
Your periodontal health may be compromised because the width of the gum supporting the tooth is inadequate.
Your crown or bridge may ‘fall-off’ without warning.
The gum tissue around the crown may become red and inflamed because of inadequate ‘biologic width.’