Gummy Smile? Crown Lengthening To Boost Confidence

By Jaklin Bezik, DDS, MDS

Metro Dental Health

. http://metrodentalhealth.com/

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Gummy Smile? Crown Lengthening To Boost Confidence

If you have what is known as a “gummy smile” (the appearance of excess gums), your confidence may benefit from crown lengthening. Oftentimes, people who have prominent gingival display are less likely to smile, laugh, and talk in public. Some are embarrassed by excess gums. A simple procedure such as crown lengthening can help those people to feel less anxious about their mouth in public settings.

What Is Crown Lengthening?

Crown lengthening is a procedure performed by a cosmetic dentist or periodontist. The excess portion of gum is removed from the teeth to display more of the tooth structure. This procedure can be and is performed for cosmetic reasons and is also used to help affix a crown to a broken tooth. The dentist is able to expose the tooth structure under the gums so that he can affix the crown to it correctly.

Who is a Candidate For
Crown Lengthening?

Those who feel they have a “gummy smile” may be candidates for this simple procedure. Candidates for crown lengthening will need to have a healthy tooth structure below or under the gum line.

Downtime After
Crown Lengthening

Typically the downtime after a crown lengthening procedure will be very short. You may want to take a day off from work or school activities after the procedure is performed due to swelling and some post procedure bleeding. The downtime will mostly depend upon on how many teeth were worked on that day. For some, the downtime is equivalent to having a filling.

Benefits Of Crown Lengthening To Boost Confidence

This simple procedure can remove the excess gums and provide you with a much more natural looking smile. After the procedure a natural ratio of teeth and gum will be exposed. You will likely smile and laugh more in public without the fear of someone noticing your smile negatively.

Speak with your dentist about crown lengthening if you feel like your confidence would be boosted by it. Your dentist can relate to you if you are a good candidate for the procedure. Sometimes we are very critical of ourselves when we should not be. Your dentist will be able to tell you if there is enough excess gums to be removed safely to provide you with the smile you desire.