Crown Lengthening

[kathrinlouie]

Hi - turns out that I need to have crown lengthening on a lateral incisor (#7) in order to get a crown to "stick" - I have an appt. to see a Periodontist next week and I'm freaking out right now. I would be most grateful if someone could tell me if they can perform the procedure from the back of the tooth or if they must operate around the whole tooth. Just cringing about the possibility of the gum line looking weird and that tooth looking longer as an end result.
Many thanks for any advise received.

 

[Tamv]

Hi. I just had crown lengthening done in February on several of my top front teeth. I believe the periodontist has to remove tissue and bone around the whole tooth, not just the back. However, since this is a front tooth, the periodontist would probably trim some of the gum tissue around your surrounding teeth in order to avoid an uneven gum line.

I was pretty freaked out about the procedure as well but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was a little uncomfortable and swollen for a few days but felt much better the second week.

Good luck

 

[kathrinlouie]

Hi. I just had crown lengthening done in February on several of my top front teeth. I believe the periodontist has to remove tissue and bone around the whole tooth, not just the back. However, since this is a front tooth, the periodontist would probably trim some of the gum tissue around your surrounding teeth in order to avoid an uneven gum line.

I was pretty freaked out about the procedure as well but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was a little uncomfortable and swollen for a few days but felt much better the second week.

Good luck

Thanks so much for the quick reply - I guess it's just something I have to do - it's either this or extraction/implant and since my insurance covers part of the surgery and quite a bit on the crown financially this option is better - thanks again.

I would love to hear from anyone else that has had this done on just one front tooth and what they experienced.

 

[comfortdentist]

I have had it done on myself and it wasn't bad. Alternative tx is orthodontic extrusion which still typically requires surgery afterwards but is better for the adjacent teeth and intentional partial extraction which I consider experimental but has its place.

 

[kathrinlouie]

I have had it done on myself and it wasn't bad. Alternative tx is orthodontic extrusion which still typically requires surgery afterwards but is better for the adjacent teeth and intentional partial extraction which I consider experimental but has its place.

The orthodontic option sounds gentler but like it may take a while to achieve results. Did you have the surgery on a front tooth? Is is standard practice to include the trimming of the gum line on neighboring front teeth that are not in need of treatment to keep the gums looking even? Many thanks for your response/s as anything helps when you're terrified