THE PROCEDURE
A precise gum reshape, when the smile asks for more
Crown lengthening sounds dramatic but it is essentially a delicate reshaping of the gum line (and sometimes a small amount of bone) to expose more of the natural tooth crown above the gum. We do it for two distinct reasons: cosmetic, when a smile shows too much gum and not enough tooth, and functional, when a tooth is broken or decayed close to the gum line and needs more length exposed for a crown to grip onto.
The procedure is small, predictable, and done in a single visit under local anesthesia. The new gum contour is stable: once it heals, the new smile shape is permanent.
Crown lengthening is often the first step before porcelain veneers or as part of a comprehensive digital smile design plan. We perform the gum reshaping with a diode laser when the case allows.
- Cosmetic gummy smile correction
- Functional tooth lengthening for crown placement
- Local anesthesia with optional sedation
- Soft tissue laser or scalpel based on case