Clinical Crown Lengthening
When decay occurs below the gum line or a tooth has fractured below the gum line, it may be necessary to remove a small amount of bone and gum tissue in order to expose enough healthy tooth structure to facilitate the placement of a high quality restoration. Your dentist may ask for this procedure before he/she makes a new crown for your tooth.
What happens during a CCL procedure?
The procedure involves adjusting the levels of the gum tissue and bone around the tooth in question to create a new gum-to-tooth relationship. This allowed us to reach the edge of the restoration, ensuring a proper fit to the tooth. It should also provide enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future. This allows you to clean the edge of the restoration when you brush and floss to prevent decay and gum disease. The procedure takes approximately one hour.
The recovery process and next steps
When the procedure is completed, sutures and a protective "bandage" are placed to help secure the new gum-to-tooth relationship. You will need to be seen in one or two weeks to remove the sutures and evaluate your healing. Usually we will wait 6 weeks for complete healing before you go back to see your dentist for the new crown.
After complete healing, your gum line is more stable and it will become less susceptible to change, such as gum recession.