If your dentist has told you he needs to lengthen a crown, you may be concerned your teeth are about to be stretched and pulled in a painful manner, but this is not the case. Lengthening a crown means your dentist will remove portions of your gum tissue or bone in order to expose a greater part of your tooth. According to Dr. Frantz Backer, lead dentist at Advanced Dentistry of New York, in Jackson Heights, New York, explains “… (it is) important to lengthen a crown when it’s clinically necessary in order to restore the clinical proportion of a tooth with a prosthetic crown.” In order to repair any tooth that has been damaged, there has to be enough of the tooth above the gumline so the dentist can work to restore it. If a tooth breaks at the gumline or below, or a crown or filling falls out of a tooth that is severely decayed, your dentist will have to expose more of the existing tooth — using the lengthening surgery — so he has something on which to work.
Once the surgery is complete, you will be given prescriptions for pain medication and an antibacterial mouth rinse. These help you cope with the discomfort and keep the area sterilized until your dentist is able to install a permanent crown covering and protecting the tooth. There may be swelling following the surgery and you will want to apply ice to the area until the swelling has decreased. A follow-up visit to the periodontist may be necessary to ensure the healing process is going well.
It may take several months for the surgery to heal completely and you will be responsible for treating the affected area with care. It is important for you to keep the surgical area clean with brushing, but avoid brushing your gums or flossing deep into the gumline. A water pick may be a helpful tool to gently remove food particles from between teeth since flossing may be painful. Speak with your periodontist following the surgery to see if a water pick is necessary. Once the area is completely healed, you will return to your dentist for the installation of the crown.
If you are in need of dental work but your dentist feels there is not enough of your tooth exposed to complete the work safely and successfully, he may recommend a tooth or crown lengthening procedure. An experienced dentist like Dr. Frantz Backer of Advanced Dentistry of New York is able to answer any questions you may have about lengthening surgery.
