Crown Lengthening
Boise, ID
 Your smile is the first thing that people notice about you. A major factor in the quality of your smile is the condition of your teeth. However, even if your teeth are perfectly straight, bright white, and free from blemishes, your smile might still not be what you want. This is because your gums also play an integral role in your smile. Excess gum tissue, sometimes known as a "gummy smile", can significantly impact the appearance of your smile, which can also impact your confidence. Water's Edge Dental can help to improve the quality of your smile, and boost your confidence, with a crown lengthening.
What is a Crown Lengthening?
A crown lengthening is a cosmetic dental procedure that is performed to eliminate the excess gum tissue affecting the quality of your smile. By removing this tissue, the appearance of your smile is greatly improved, as is your confidence. This procedure can be used even if only one tooth is affected by an excess of tissue. In some cases, a small amount of bone may also need to be removed along with the tissue to achieve the greatest aesthetic results.
Improving the Quality of Your Smile
Your crown lengthening is performed using a soft tissue laser. The soft tissue laser uses a concentrated beam of light to remove the excess tissue. The soft tissue laser is much less invasive than a traditional scalpel. It cauterizes your tissue as it cuts, which helps to greatly reduce bleeding. With the laser, we can target only the necessary tissue while reducing the amount of tissue trauma you experience. As a result, you experience less pain and swelling after your treatment and your recovery time is reduced.
Before beginning your crown lengthening, we first administer a local anesthetic. This numbs the treatment area so that you do not feel any pain. Small incisions are made in your gums, which allows us to separate the tissue from your teeth. The soft tissue laser is then used to remove the excess tissue. Even if only one tooth requires treatment, we also treat the adjacent teeth to help provide a more even, natural result. If necessary, the wavelength of the soft tissue laser is adjusted to remove bone tissue. Once your procedure is complete, we suture your gums back against your teeth, and your results are noticeable right away.
Other Reasons for Crown Lengthening
While commonly used as a cosmetic procedure, a crown lengthening can also have some functional purposes as well. These include:
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Treating cavities at your gum line. If you have a cavity at the gum line, there may be decay below the tissue. Removing a small amount of tissue will provide us with the access we need to thoroughly clean and fill the cavity to restore your oral health.
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Placing dental crowns. A crown is a restoration that is used to treat a damaged tooth. To provide optimal protection, the crown needs to encase the entire visible surface area of your tooth. Excess gum tissue can cover over part of this area of your tooth, preventing a proper fit. By removing the tissue, we can properly place your crown.
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Improving periodontal health. Excess gum tissue provides hiding places for bacteria and can be difficult to clean properly. As a result, your risk for gum disease increases. Removing excess gum tissue removes these hiding places and helps to make your mouth easier to keep clean. |
Crown lengthening can significantly improve the quality of your smile and can also help to improve your oral health. For more information, and to find out if a crown lengthening is right for you, call Water's Edge Dental at (208) 375-0572 to schedule your appointment today.
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