Clinical Crown Lengthening
This type of crown lengthening removes excess gum and bone tissue to expose more the “crown” of the tooth to allow for your dentist to place a filling or a crown on the tooth. This procedure is needed when the tooth has fractured or the decay is very deep and there is not enough tooth structure or the filling/crown would be too close to the bone and would cause chronic inflammation and future issues. The gum line and bone are sculpted to allow for better access for your dentist to put the final restoration.
Your dentist or periodontist may also recommend dental crown lengthening to make a restorative or cosmetic dental procedure possible. Perhaps your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth, so it can be restored.