A “balanced” smile is a healthy, beautiful smile!

How crown lengthening treats excess gums, tooth decay

Mirage Family Dentistry sees your healthiest, most attractive smile on the horizon. Your smile is a sum of its parts. Each tooth includes a crown. The crown is the white, visible part of the tooth. The surrounding pink gum tissue helps to protect and support the tooth structure. A balanced smile with the proper proportions between the teeth and the gums tends to look more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing. With crown lengthening, Dr. Rajni Kapoor can design the stunning smile you have always wanted. This benefit is just the tip of the iceberg, though. 

A balanced smile can also be an indicator of optimal oral health. The appearance of the gums may be a gauge of the condition of these gingival tissues, and overly “gummy” smiles can also adversely affect your mouth’s health. 

Too much of a good thing

As noted, the gums serve many functions. Partly, they help to stabilize and protect the teeth. However, excess gum tissue or gingival overgrowth can throw off the proportions of the smile. Additionally, too much gum tissue can present a complication when addressing problems with the tooth structure. These problems include tooth decay, which may be addressed with restorative treatments like dental fillings or crowns made from materials like composite resin and porcelain. These restorations preserve damaged teeth by building them up and strengthening structures weakened by disease or trauma. 

The problem with excessive gum tissue when treating decay boils down to Dr. Kapoor’s need to fit the crown over the tooth or apply the filling to the tooth. When there is insufficient tooth structure (the natural crown) accessible and visible in the smile, Dr. Kapoor may be challenged to apply these restorations. Fortunately, she can predictably, comfortably, and quickly expose more of the tooth’s natural structure or crown. She does this with the crown lengthening procedure. This process to “lengthen” the tooth by removing excessive gum tissue and revealing more of the crown is well-tolerated with little more than localized anesthetic for utmost comfort. 

Specifics about the exact tissues that are removed and repositioned to achieve your most beautiful and healthy smile vary from person to person. Dr. Kapoor is happy to evaluate if you are a good candidate for surgical crown lengthening or another advanced procedure available at Mirage Family Dentistry in Yorktown, VA. 

Call (757) 856-5545 to schedule your visit. This service may be recommended for either cosmetic improvement, restorative treatment, or a combination of both health and aesthetic benefits.