CrownLengthening
About Crown Lengthening
Improving your smile isn't always as easy as whitening or straightening your teeth. Overgrown gums can make it difficult to show off your sexy smile. The board-certified dental professionals at MINT dentistry are skilled in performing crown lengthening to boost your oral health and smile. Despite its name, crown lengthening doesn't actually make your teeth longer. A clearer name would be "tooth exposure” because gum tissue is eliminated to show more enamel, making your teeth appear longer. We may suggest crown lengthening for cosmetic reasons or as a necessary procedure to expose more enamel so your tooth can hold a filling, crown, or other restoration. To get more information on how crown lengthening can help improve your oral health and appearance, contact us to schedule an initial consultation with a board-certified team member at MINT dentistry in North Richland Hills, TX.
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Best Candidates
Ideal candidates for crown lengthening have a healthy mouth, especially the gums. Problems like gum (periodontal) disease need to be addressed first and then crown lengthening can be scheduled. Most often, crown lengthening is a cosmetic treatment to correct a "gummy" smile. Excess gum tissue will be excised to balance the amount of visible gums to enamel for a higher, more even gumline. Crown lengthening might also be required to perform a restoration. A MINT dentistry professional might recommend crown lengthening to expose more enamel to have enough room for a tooth-colored filling, bridge, or crown. In your consultation at our state-of-the-art facility, a board-certified dental professional will evaluate your oral health to decide if crown lengthening can help improve your smile.
What to Expect
Every appointment you have at MINT dentistry, including your crown lengthening procedure, will begin with our experienced dental professionals making sure you're comfortable. Our state-of-the-art treatment rooms all have Beats headphones, MINT sunglasses, and flat-screen televisions to help you remain relaxed during your procedure. Before the lengthening treatment begins, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the area. MINT dentistry also offers several sedation dentistry options. These options will be reviewed in advance at your initial consultation. As soon as you are ready, your doctor will begin to remove a small amount of the gum tissue slowly and gradually to reveal more of your teeth with a higher, even gumline. Once we have completed the crown lengthening procedure, your dentist will seal the gum tissue to stop bleeding.
Treatment Aftercare
If sedation was used during your procedure, you will need to have a responsible friend or family member drive you home. Your mouth will probably feel sore and swollen after crown lengthening. Over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses can usually be used to reduce your discomfort. In some cases, your dentist may write you a prescription for antibiotics and/or pain medication. We recommend you eat a soft food diet and stay hydrated for the first several days after crown lengthening. At home, you should carefully clean your teeth with gentle brushing and mouthwash. You should not floss until your dentist says it is safe to do so. A second appointment at our office should be made so we can monitor your healing.
The MINT Commitment
The cost of a crown lengthening procedure will depend on many factors, like the reason it is being performed. If you have dental insurance, it may cover a portion of the cost of the procedure. Our dedicated support staff will contact your insurance company to verify your policy benefits before we estimate your remaining bill. For patients who don't have dental insurance, we will help estimate your costs in your initial consultation and give you information on low-interest medical financing to help make your care more affordable. If you cannot afford your dental care and do not have dental insurance, ask us for more information on the MINT Discount Plan.
A Big, Beautiful Smile
Remove excess gum tissue and reveal your best smile with crown lengthening at MINT dentistry in North Richland Hills, TX. When you remove overgrown soft tissue, you can fix a "gummy" smile or prepare your teeth for a restoration. Contact us to schedule a consultation with our team of board-certified professionals at MINT dentistry to find out if your appearance and oral health can be improved with a restorative or cosmetic crown lengthening procedure.