Dr. Caudry divides her time between her clinical practice and educating those around her. When she is not presenting her deeply researched and studied findings to professional peers at conferences internationally, she instructs students in the periodontal department at the University of Toronto.
Peers and students aren’t the only people Dr. Caudry believes in educating. Day after day, the team at her dental clinic takes all the time needed to educate our patients. We believe the most empowered patients are the most knowledgeable ones. That is why we’ve decided to devote some time to the topic of crown lengthening. Many people do not know clinical crown lengthening is an option for them, while others are unsure what the process entails.
With any luck, this informative post should bring you up to speed. If, at any point, you have more pressing questions or would like to know more about this or other dental procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us at (416) 928-3444.
Your Trusted Periodontist
As one of the most sought-after periodontists in the Greater Toronto Area—and one of the most respected in their field—there are no periodontal procedures that Dr. Caudry has not mastered. Whether our patients require emergency tooth extractions, hygienic help, or full-mouth dental implants, Dr. Caudry and her dream-team staff are always here to help.
Another often-performed procedure is dental crown lengthening.
What Is Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening is a procedure that involves reshaping an individual’s bones and gums to create perfectly proportionate teeth. Crown lengthening may also be done so your periodontist can better access the area below the gum tissue for reasons related to gum and dental restoration. It never takes long for unwanted plaque to accumulate under or around gum tissue, after all. With crown lengthening, your hygienist will have an easier time cleaning the restoration margins in the future.
Whatever the reason for crown lengthening, you’ll surely reap the cosmetic benefits of the procedure—so long as you work with professionals like Dr. Caudry, that is.
Crown Lengthening: How It Is Done
Despite what people may think, crown lengthening is a relatively straightforward procedure. Once we have prepared the area, we simply remove the excess gum tissue with nothing more than a few small incisions. Doing this exposes more of the tooth’s root. Once we have succeeded in exposing the root, we can begin reshaping the bone to ensure a proper fit and a sealed margin. After we have completed the process and the tissue has healed, you will be left with a beautiful, picture-perfect smile.
How Long Does Crown Lengthening Take?
Like many dental procedures, people are wary of them because they worry about the time they’ll spend sitting in the dentist’s chair. We understand why people might feel this way, but rest assured, with us, your experience will be as streamlined and comfortable as possible. Rest assured, your appointments and surgeries will never take any longer than necessary.
At our facilities, we’ve worked hard to improve the patient experience at every turn. From our adjustable sedation options to the digital workflows we’ve integrated into our practices, we ensure our clients get the best care possible.
This straightforward procedure takes approximately one hour in our facilities. Once we have completed the procedure, we place sutures over the impacted area. Following the placement of the sutures, we ask our patients to return in 1-2 weeks so we can evaluate the healing process. Only after six weeks can we undertake any further prosthetic work, such as crowns or restorations.
Are Gum Lifts Painful?
Many people ask us if they should expect any discomfort during the gum lift procedure. As with many other cosmetic dentistry procedures, we have a trained anesthesiologist on-site to administer the appropriate anesthesia. The anesthesia ensures that you will not feel any pain during the procedure.
Upon request, we will also administer sedation. For those whose stress levels increase the moment they slide into the dentist’s chair, sedation is an excellent option. You’ll feel relaxed for the duration of the procedure, and you’ll leave with little memory of it at all.
We offer two sedation options: the twilight sedation and complete sleep.
Twilight sedation gives patients a “barely aware, don’t care” feeling of profound comfort for the duration of the procedure or surgery. What’s more, the sedation can be increased at any point upon request.
With the complete sleep option, you will fall into a sleep state and have zero recollection of your time in the dentist’s chair. For those with moderate to severe anxiety or those undergoing multiple surgeries, we highly recommend this option.
Why Might You Need Crown Lengthening
We treat patients from all walks of life. Some patients request crown lengthening to augment their smile, while we suggest crown lengthening to other patients who maybe did not even know it was an option. Here are the three most common reasons why someone might receive a gum lift.
- Damaged Teeth
Teeth may become damaged due to gum disease or a sudden accident. If the damage spreads to the area below the gum line, Dr. Caudry and her team will perform a crown lengthening procedure to expose the damaged tooth. Not only will we repair the damage beneath the tissue, but we will also attach a new crown if needed. - Gummy Smiles
We believe that everyone has a beautiful smile. Some people’s smiles are simply hiding behind damaged teeth or are covered by too much gum tissue. For those who feel their smiles are too “gummy,” we perform the gum lift procedure. By lengthening the crown, we give you the proportionate and healthy-looking smile you’ve always wanted. - Dental Implants and Crowns
For those patients who may not have enough exposed tooth above the gum-line to allow for a new crown, we simply augment the gum tissue accordingly.
The GTA’s Finest Periodontist
Would you like to learn more about crown lengthening, or any of our other procedures? If so, feel free to contact us at (416) 928-3444. We are always ready to take your call.