Overcome a Gummy Smile with Esthetic Crown Lengthening

Do your teeth look unusually smaller than normal? Sometimes, this could be because of your overgrown gum tissues, resulting in a “gummy smile,” where part of your tooth structure is obscured. Washington Periodontics in Burke, Virginia, offers esthetic crown lengthening to expose more of the tooth structure, giving you an evenly balanced smile. When expertly administered by Dr. Christine Karapetian, the procedure offers immediate and dramatic improvements to your smile!

What is esthetic crown lengthening?

Esthetic crown lengthening is a cosmetic procedure that recontours overgrown gingival tissues or an uneven gum line to expose more of the tooth. This gum contouring can be done on one tooth, several teeth, or an entire gum line to achieve a pleasant, aesthetically appealing smile.

Crown lengthening is versatile and can be combined with your periodontal treatment. However, the doctor can use it as a stand-alone procedure to achieve dramatic aesthetic outcomes. Removing excess gum tissues reveals more of your teeth to restore a healthy, balanced appearance.

What does the procedure involve?

Esthetic crown lengthening is administered under local anesthesia, but if you are anxious about the procedure, you can talk to your dentist about sedation dentistry. We can complete the procedure within 60 minutes, but the time depends on how many teeth are involved and whether we need to remove the underlying bone.

Once the area is fully numbed, the doctor will make small incisions in your gums to carefully separate them from the teeth. Even if only one tooth is affected, the surrounding teeth will also be addressed to ensure a uniform gum line. Sometimes, the doctor may need to remove a small amount of bone around the teeth for optimal results.

The doctor uses precision skills to remove and reshape the excess gum tissues. Immediately after the procedure, your teeth will be noticeably longer. When satisfied with the tooth-to-gum ratio, we’ll clean and suture the wound to kick-start healing.

What are the aftercare tips after crown lengthening?

The surgical area will be tender for a few days. So, it’s vital to keep your wound clean and undisturbed to promote faster healing. Here are tips to ensure a smooth recovery.

  • Oral hygiene: Don’t brush the area for at least 24 hours. You can brush your teeth, but avoid the area near the stitches. Gently swish your mouth with salty, lukewarm water to remove unwanted bacteria.
  • Medications: The dentist will prescribe pain medications and antibiotics. Take your medications as directed. Complete the full course of antibiotics even if the symptoms seem to improve. We’ll also recommend you use an ice pack to manage swelling and pain after surgery.
  • Diet: Stick to soft foods and liquids for about 4-6 days and slowly introduce solid foods depending on how well your gums heal.
  • Rest: Avoid physical activities and take some days off from work to allow your body to heal. When you sleep, use at least two pillows to keep your head elevated.
  • Sutures: Stitches are used to hold the gum tissues in place during healing. They may be dissolvable or need to be removed by the dentist at your follow-up visit. It’s important to avoid disturbing the sutures until it’s time for them to come out.

Are you interested in crown lengthening?

Crown lengthening removes excess gum tissues to achieve an evenly balanced, natural-looking gum line. The results are immediate and last a lifetime! If you are ready to rejuvenate your smile with crown lengthening, call (571) 569-7540 to schedule an appointment with Washington Periodontics.