Crown lengthening is a minor surgical procedure that saves a tooth whose decay or old restoration extends below the gum line. By lowering the gum level slightly, the whole area becomes reachable with a toothbrush and a perfectly sealed restoration can be placed.
Why have crown lengthening?
When deep decay attacks the side of a tooth and runs below the gum line, a proper seal is impossible: saliva and bacteria will keep getting in. Without treatment, the tooth cannot be saved properly.
Crown lengthening involves lowering the level of the gum and bone slightly so that the entire circumference of the tooth becomes accessible.
When is it indicated?
- Deep decay extending below the gum line.
- Decay under an old crown that no longer seals properly.
- An old restoration whose margins no longer close perfectly.
The benefits after the procedure
Once crown lengthening has been carried out, the whole area is reachable with a toothbrush again. The margin of the new restoration (ceramic, metal or economy crown, with a reinforcing post if needed) is perfectly sealed, which is what makes it last.
