Crown Lengthening in Bakersfield and Valencia, CA
Reshaping the gum and bone around a tooth to improve your smile or prepare the tooth for a permanent restoration.
The functional reason
When decay or a fracture runs below the gum line, there is not enough sound tooth left above the bone for a crown to grip, and no crown placed on it will hold. Crown lengthening removes a small amount of gum and bone so that sound tooth structure is exposed and the restoration has something to seat on.
It also restores what is called the biologic width, the band of attachment between bone and tooth that a restoration must not encroach on. A crown that violates it produces chronic inflammation that never settles.
The aesthetic reason
In a gummy smile the teeth are often a normal size but partly buried under tissue. Recontouring the gum, and where necessary the bone beneath it, reveals the natural proportions of the teeth and evens an uneven gum line.
Aesthetic cases are planned against the smile line and the lip position, not against the teeth alone, and are usually coordinated with the dentist who will do any restorative work afterwards.
Afterwards
Local anesthesia, and a recovery most patients describe as mild. Tissue needs time to settle to its final position before definitive restorations are made, which is why your dentist will wait before taking the final impression.
Ask about crown lengthening at either office.
Your consultation includes a thorough examination, review of the necessary X-rays, and a clear explanation of what we find. We'll walk you through your options, answer your questions, and help you understand what comes next.
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PMUrgent periodontal problems are triaged by phone during office hours.
- Bakersfield
- (661) 425-05701010 Calloway Drive, Suite 200B
Bakersfield, CA 93312 - Valencia
- (661) 425-056023501 Cinema Drive, Suite 207
Valencia, CA 91355