Individuals with a compromised gumline can benefit from a crown lengthening or periodontal realignment procedure. The procedure will adjust the gums around the teeth to expose more surface area of a tooth or specific areas of the teeth. Although this is often to resolve what most people call a "gummy" smile. There is no known cause of gummy smiles; some people simply naturally have shorter looking teeth.

Crown lengthening also has many other benefits. Some individuals may require adjustment for cosmetic reasons, such as to resolve dental issues caused by trauma to their mouth and teeth. Gums may heal unevenly as a result of severe trauma. Fractures or cavities may even pop up under the gum line.  Periodontal re-alignment can expose the decay or fracture underneath to be treated. The gums can then be sutured into shape and allowed to heal naturally and permanently into the position desired.

The Procedure: Local anesthesia will be applied to the entire mouth. The gum will be cut back, reshapened and held in place with sutures. If necessarily, the gum tissue may need to be removed,

Before the Surgery: Please have food at least an hour before. Anesthesia will be applied to the whole mouth and you may not be able to eat for several hours.

What You Can Expect Afterwards: It is normal to be sore for the next week or two. Do not eat until numbness has worn off. The gums will slowly heal and the pain will lessen overtime. Please make an appointment to return to remove the sutures.

Periodontal Treatment for Gum Disease/Deep Cleaning

Healthy teeth are anchored to the jawbones and held in place by root fibers. Gums adhere to the teeth and protect the roots from being exposed (which can cause sensitivity and sharp pain). Calculus, plaque, tartar and bacteria may gather at the gum line or under the gums on teeth's roots. Untreated, bacteria will eat away at healthy bone and root fibers and interrupt the adhesion between the cementum and periodontal ligaments. Debris will harden and become difficult to remove with regular brushing. Gum recession, swollen, painful or bleeding gums are results of buildup. Early signs of gingivitis such as bleeding while brushing are also indicators of gum disease. Overtime, root fibers deteriorate and teeth become loose or "wiggly" and may even fall out by themselves. 

The recommended treatment for periodontal disease is often referred to as a scaling and root planning, or more colloquially, "deep cleaning." Scaling refers to removing hardened buildup close to or at the gum line whereas root planning refers to cleaning the root surface underneath the gums. As this tends to be a painful process, local anesthesia will be applied before the deep cleaning.  

Before Your Visit:Please notify us if you have sensitivity or allergy to local anesthesia (lidocaine, novocaine, medvicane...etc). Please also let the front desk know if you are undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Certain medications may need to be discontinued before treatment can be done. In general, it is highly recommended that you have food before the procedure.

What You Can Expect Afterwards: Your mouth will remain numb for a few hours (depending on age and physiology; 2 hours is average) so avoid eating to protect your tongue from being unknowingly bitten. For the new few days, you should start to feel better, if a little sore. Any swelling noted prior to the cleaning will automatically start to diminish.

Crown Lengthening / Periodontal Re-alignment

Gumline re-aligned to create ideal spacing for crown.