Crown Lengthening Ask The Dentist Questions about Crown Lengthening in the Dental Health Library

Dentist Finder

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
WashingtonDC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Dental Health Directory Library

FAQ: Crown Lengthening

Gum Tissue Diseases
Anatomy of Gum Recession

Bone and Gingival Tissue Grafting
Treatment - Prevention of Periodontal Disease

Crown Lengthening Ask The Dentist Mitchell Pohl

Question:
Crown Lengthening and Implants: My filling came out and the tooth cuspid broke at the gum line.

I coincidentally was referred to a periodontist due to my regular dentist is out of the country. The periodontist referred me for a root canal evaluation and to come back and do a crown lengthening.

I saw an endodontist today who confirmed I need a preventative root canal and lengthening. He said he could do the lengthening at the same time as the root canal. He explained how he would trim back the gum, but no mention of bone trimming.

I asked him about the bone, and he said he wouldn't be doing that. Does shaving bone cause implant attachment problems down the road if the crown doesn't work out? ... Visitor from FL

Answer:
I don't quite understand the reason for the crown lengthening other than to possibly allow for crown placement.

Perhaps your gum tissue and bone level of your canines is not symmetrical and the periodontists wants to cosmetically improve the symmetry. I think he probably wants to do it for restorative reasons.

That being said, you are correct in thinking about preservation of the bone for future implant placement. Reducing the bone around a tooth for crown lengthening also affects the bone of the adjacent teeth.

If the periodontist needs to remove that much bone, you may want to discuss with him the pros and cons of placing an implant instead.

Florida Reconstructive Dentistry
Mitchell Pohl, DDS
2900 N. Military Trail, Suite 105
Boca Raton Florida FL 33431
(561) 368-3440

Return to Crown Lengthening FAQ

Ask a Question

Return to FAQ Index

You also have the option of using Google search technology to conduct a specific search within our databases to find more specific information. Use key words or short phrases:

[Home] [Ask The Dentist] [FAQ's] [Polls] [Consultants] [Directories] [Employment] [Articles]
Contact the Editor

Dental Health Directory
Ask The Dentist
Featured in

Dental Pros and Cons

Videos
Pictures Photos
New Products
Bad Teeth Gums Gallery