Need Crown Lengthening in Houston, Texas?

Gummy smiles could jeopardize the health of your teeth and force you to conceal them from others. To maintain and showcase your smile, get the crown lengthening procedure it deserves.

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Happy Man showing his crown lengthening

Table of Contents

What Is Dental Crown Lengthening?

A crown lengthening operation could be necessary if the tooth structure is not strong enough to hold a filling or crown. This involves the removal of gum tissue to expose more of the tooth’s surface area. The most common situations to be attended to are when a tooth breaks near or at the gum line or when a crown or filling comes loose and reveals rot underneath.

Dental crown lengthening procedure being performed on a woman by dentist
Benefits of Crown Lengthening
A woman smiling in a dentist's chair after crown lengthening procedure

Why Do You Need Crown Lengthening Procedure?

Crown lengthening may be necessary if the tooth structure is not strong enough to support the crown on its own. For example, if a tooth has cavities or is damaged, it may be difficult for a crown to stay in place.

During crown lengthening, we will remove the gum tissue and, if necessary, shave down the bone so that more of the tooth is visible above the gum line. A well-fitted dental crown can improve oral hygiene and enhance the overall comfort.

Some people have crown lengthening to correct a “gummy smile,” in which the gums are visible when smiling.

Are you a candidate for Crown Lengthening?

How to Get Ready for a Crown Lengthening

At Zara Dental, providing patients with a temporary crown to wear prior to their procedure is common practice. The temporary crown serves the purpose of safeguarding your tooth until the placement of the permanent crown, and it also aids in achieving a better fit for the permanent crown.

Before your surgical procedure, you will have a consultation with the periodontist to discuss your medical history and present your radiographic images. Please inform your dentist about any medications you are currently taking during this appointment. They will let you know if you need to cease taking any of them due to the upcoming procedure.

A man in a dental chair, preparing for crown lengthening

What Are the Benefits of Crown Lengthening?

Prevent Tooth Decay
Prevent tooth decay
Improve Your Smile
Improve your smile
Preventing Extraction
Preventing extraction
Easier To Clean
Easier to clean

Dental Crown Lengthening Surgery in Houston

Oral surgeries keep getting better and better at what they do. Crown lengthening is a common dental procedure for both health and looks. You may anticipate a successful surgery and an improvement in the health and longevity of your teeth when our professional dentists at Zara Dental carries it out. Call us at 713-766-1122 for more information or book an appointment on our website.
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Crown lengthening results in happy woman's smile
Dental patient receiving crown lengthening treatment

What Happens in a Crown Lengthening Procedure?

Your periodontist will stretch your crown as an outpatient surgery. This means you are free to leave and return home. The duration of the procedure is contingent upon the number of teeth that require extraction and the necessity of removing both soft tissue and bone. If any of your adjacent teeth have provisional crowns, we may remove them before the treatment and reposition them after the procedure.

Typically, patients receive local anesthesia and may be administered a sedative medication for relaxation during the procedure. Next, we make a cut in the gums to pry them away from the teeth and reveal the bone and root structures. In certain instances, the gingival tissue may be the only thing that requires removal. The surgeon then rinses the surgical site with saline solution. Next, we suture the gums back together, and sometimes we apply a protective bandage over the area for additional safety.

Following the subsiding of the local anesthesia, you may experience discomfort, for which your dental surgeon will prescribe pain relievers and a specialized mouthwash to facilitate the healing of your gums.

After Crown Lengthening

Following the surgery, you will be provided with a mouth rinse and a prescription for pain relief medication. Additionally, we recommend that you consume a soft diet. After 7 to 10 days, your stitches will be removed, and you will be scheduled for a follow-up visit after approximately 4-6 weeks. Once the periodontal tissues fully recover, your dentist will install the permanent dental crown.

Your experienced dentist at Zara Dental Services in Houston will review the steps of the procedure with you in detail should crown lengthening be necessary for you. Briefly, during the administration of local anesthesia, the periodontist will excise a portion of the gingiva, revealing an adequate amount of the tooth’s roots to facilitate the placement of a filling or crown. In certain situations, extraction of the root’s bony structure may be necessary. Once enough tooth is visible; the dentists will utilize a sterile salt water bath to close the wounds.

A woman getting dental care with crown lengthening
A man in tooth pain

When You Should Call Your Zara Dentists

After a crown lengthening procedure, you should be on the lookout for any problems. Problems are rare, but when they happen, they include:

  • Nonstop bleeding
  • Pain despite ibuprofen use
  • Infection
  • Lots of swelling or fluid coming from the area
  • Your bandage becomes loose or comes off.
  • Having lumps under your jaw or in your neck, which are swollen lymph nodes,

If you have any of the above problems, you should call our dentists at Zara Dental right away so they can fix them.

Additional Recovery Tips after Crown Lengtening

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For some time, your gums may be sensitive to hot and cold conditions.

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Avoid foods that are hard, spicy, or sticky while you are healing.

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The gums will heal faster if you eat soft foods and drink lots of water.

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Don't smoke or drink alcohol for 7 to 10 days.

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Don't pull your lip out to see the location of the surgery.

Prevent Further Dental Issues

Set up a follow-up appointment with your dentist to check on your healing.

Crown Lengthening Cost

Your dental insurance or extended dental coverage may usually cover the cost of your crown lengthening. However, if you don’t have insurance or If you are looking for more information about the price of a specific service, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our expert Treatment Coordinators for help. They can help with putting together an affordable payment plan so you can get the dental treatment that you need.

A woman receiving crown lengthening procedure at the dentist's office

We Accept Most Insurance Companies

We will be glad to file a predetermination for you to verify coverage of any necessary dental treatment. And we accept most PPO insurances.

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