How long does crown lengthening take?
Thanks to constant innovations in dental technology and procedures, dental health professionals are equipped to effectively treat all manner of cosmetic and medical dental conditions. Crown lengthening janesville wisconsin is just one of these procedures. Crown lengthening is most often done for one of two primary purposes. First, crown lengthening may be recommended for people who need to have a crown placed, but who may lack a sufficient amount of healthy, exposed tooth to safely and effectively support a crown. Second, crown lengthening may be recommended as a cosmetic treatment for a gummy smile; if your teeth appear unnaturally short when you smile, because of an excessive amount of gum tissue, you may have a gummy smile.
The crown lengthening procedure is considered a minor surgery and is performed by a periodontist. The selected surgical technique is based on the condition of the patient’s mouth, the depth and health of the tooth’s roots, the position of the teeth to be treated, whether a crown or restoration is being placed, and the possibility of any adjacent bone loss. The three types of techniques used for crown lengthening procedures are gingivectomy, apically repositioned flap surgery, and surgical extrusion; your periodontist will explain your selected technique to you in greater detail. To begin, the patient’s gums are numbed with an injected local anesthetic. Once the gums are sufficiently numb, the periodontist will surgically remove a part of the gum tissue, exposing more of the surface of the tooth. In some cases, a small amount of bone may also need to be removed. Once the correct amount of tissue has been removed and the gumline has been appropriately sculpted, the periodontist will rinse the area with a sterile saline solution and stitch the gums into place, finally covering the surgical site with sterile, protective dressing.
Overall, the crown lengthening procedure requires a few different office visits, including time between visits for healing. Before the procedure, you will visit with your periodontist for a review of x-rays of your mouth and jaw to determine your specific surgical needs and to schedule your surgery. If needed, you may also receive a temporary crown at this time. The duration of the surgical procedure itself usually depends on the number of teeth involved and the surgical technique chosen by the periodontist. For example, if you are having a crown lengthening procedure to treat a gummy smile, this treatment, which involves sculpting and shaping the gum tissue surrounding an entire row of teeth, will take considerably longer than a procedure to prepare a single tooth to receive a crown. The procedure itself won’t take more than a few hours. Once the procedure is complete, you can use ice packs and over-the-counter pain relievers to relieve swelling and tenderness in your gums, and you will be advised to eat soft foods while the gums heal. It’s important to keep the surgical area clean and free of debris as it heals, and gently rinsing can accomplish this. You may also receive a prescription for a chlorhexidine mouthwash. About a week after the procedure, your periodontist will take out your stitches. About a month after the procedure, you will see your periodontist for a follow-up visit to make sure everything is healing correctly. It takes about three months for the gums to heal entirely; once they have completely healed, if you have had a crown lengthening procedure to better accommodate a crown, the permanent crown can then be placed.