Crown Lengthening

When you think about the perfect smile, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, the first thing is the condition of the teeth. While the teeth are a major part of a beautiful smile, they are not the only component. Teeth can be perfectly straight, pearly white, and blemish-free and your smile can still not be what you want. Just as important as the appearance of your teeth is the appearance of your gums. If you have excess gum tissue, causing a gummy smile, your otherwise beautiful teeth appear shorter than normal. At Oregon Periodontics, P.C., we can correct your gummy smile with crown lengthening.

What Is Crown Lengthening?

Your gums play an important role in the health of your mouth. They sit firmly against the necks of your teeth, providing a protective seal that prevents oral bacteria and other debris from finding their way to your tooth roots and jawbone. This helps to prevent serious infections, tooth loss, and other issues. However, if you have too much gum tissue, this can present an aesthetic problem. Excess gum tissue affects the appearance of your teeth as well as the quality of your smile. Crown lengthening is a procedure designed to remove that excess gum tissue to restore a more natural gumline and provide you with the beautiful smile you have always wanted.

How Is Crown Lengthening Done?

Crown lengthening procedures are done under a local anesthetic. If you are feeling nervous, sedation can be used. Options are discussed before your procedure during your consultation. We start by making small incisions in your gum tissue, which allows us to separate the tissue from the teeth, and provides us with access to the tooth roots and jawbone. Excess gum tissue is removed. In some cases, small amounts of bone may also need to be removed from the jaw to provide the best aesthetic results. When we are finished, we suture your gums snug back against your teeth. You will see results from the procedure right away.

The length of your procedure is dependent upon how many teeth require correction, and if we need to remove any bone. Even if we are only correcting the gums at one tooth, we will also work on the adjacent teeth to provide a more even appearance. Using microsurgical tools and techniques, we are also able to significantly reduce the trauma to your gums, leading to a quicker, smoother recovery.

One Procedure, Several Uses

While crown lengthening is commonly used as a cosmetic procedure, it can also be used to accomplish other goals as well.

•	Cavity treatment. If a cavity occurs at the gumline, properly cleaning out the decay and filling it can be difficult. By removing excess tissue at the gumline, your cavity can be thoroughly cleaned out and the filling properly placed.
•	Dental crown placement. Crowns are dental restorations designed to restore damaged teeth. These caps cover the crown of your natural tooth. To be effective, the crown needs to fit properly and cover the tooth completely. If not, the tooth becomes susceptible to further damage or infection. Removing excess tissue ensures that the crown fits properly to provide the best results.
•	Improving your oral health. Excess gum tissue provides ideal hiding places for oral bacteria. It is also more difficult to keep clean. By removing excess tissue, your mouth is easier to keep clean, and there is no place for the bacteria to hide.

With a crown lengthening, you can finally have the smile you have always wanted. Call Oregon Periodontics, P.C., today to schedule your consultation and find out if this procedure is right for you at (503) 575-7750.

Benefits of

Oregon Periodontics PC

Comfortable operatory experience

Excellent results due to enhanced vision & precision

Rapid healing & minimal discomfort

See our smile gallery

Office Hours
Tuesday–Thursday
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM–12:00 PM

Location
11786 Southwest Barnes Rd Suite 210
Portland, OR 97225-5925

Contact
Office: (503) 575-7750
Fax: (503) 531-3560

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