Crown Lengthening Can Help Reduce a "Gummy" Smile

If you feel insecure about a “gummy” smile or teeth that appear too small you may be interested in a surgical procedure known as crown lengthening.

Crown lengthening, also known as a gum lift, is a cosmetic procedure that can enhance the look of your smile by exposing more of your teeth hidden behind your gums. Dr. Evelina Tolchinsky, one of our wonderful dentists here at Signature Smile, says “crown lengthening is not only for cosmetic purposes, dentists use this procedure to help fix other dental issues as well, such as reaching a fracture under the gums.”

What Does Crown Lengthening Surgery Involve?

The first step in pursuing this procedure is setting up an initial consultation at our Brooklyn Heights office. Dr. Inna Trogan or Dr. Evelina Tolchinsky will guide you in determining if this procedure is right for you. They will then consult a trusted periodontist (gum specialist) who would perform the actual surgery. You will be placed under local anesthesia, this means they will numb the specific areas of your mouth that will be need to be worked on. Once your gums are numb, the periodontist will make small cuts to remove the excess gums covering your teeth.

In most cases this is all that is needed to make your teeth appear larger, but in some cases it may be necessary to remove excess soft tissue or a small amount of bone to expose the crown. After the surgery is completed, your gums will be rinsed with sterile water and stitched up.

The surgery can usually be completed in 30 minutes to 1 hour.

It is important to remember that although this procedure is common and safe, it is a surgical procedure. You may want to weigh the pros and cons before deciding if it is right for you.

Pros and Cons of Crown Lengthening

Pro: 

1. Crown lengthening can dramatically change the look of your smile.

2. Crown lengthening only needs to be done once – no additional touch-ups required

3. Crown lengthening can help increase oral health by exposing more tooth to brush

Cons: 

1. Crown lengthening can be expensive. It usually costs $1,000 – $4,000, however your insurance may cover a part of it.

2. As with any surgery, pain, swelling, and discomfort can occur. It could last a few days or a few weeks depending on the extent of the surgery.

Recovering from Crown Lengthening Surgery

After your procedure, our Signature Smile dentists’s will instruct you to use ice to help ease the pain and reduce swelling, you will also be prescribed a pain reliever.

It is also important to eat soft foods and to be extra careful when brushing your teeth.

After 7-10 days, your stitches will be removed.

Is Crown Lengthening Right for Me?

It is important to weigh the pros and cons of this procedure, but in the end, it is a relatively simple procedure that can help improve your smile and oral health.

We at Signature Smile Dental want you to feel proud of a beautiful and healthy smile. If you feel that this procedure is what you need to help improve the look of your smile and change your life, then Dr. Evelina Tolchinsky and Dr. Inna Trogan are here for you. Give our Brooklyn Heights office a call to set up s consultation.