Esthetic Crown Lengthening St Louis
Most have probably seen people with what you would consider short teeth, or a “gummy” smile. While it may appear that their teeth are shorter than normal and caps or crowns are thought to be needed. It’s often just a case of the teeth being hidden behind the gums. By repositioning the gum line, you can improve your smile and the contours of your face without having to cut the teeth permanently to fit crowns on them.
One of the major advantages of crown lengthening is that it can often be completed in one visit with a simple anesthetic. Essentially, the excessive gum tissue that is hiding your teeth is removed to expose the normal length of the tooth.
With crown lengthening, you’ll benefit from:
- enhanced teeth that no longer look short or like “baby teeth”
- a much more attractive smile
- reduction of a “gummy” like smile
- an improved self-image and more self-confidence
- a relatively quick healing period with little discomfort
- visible results in as little as one week from surgery
Apart from the esthetic benefits of crown lengthening, correcting a “gummy” smile can also improve your overall periodontal health. When gum tissue does not recede normally as adult teeth appear, pockets can form in the gums around the teeth, which can result in advanced periodontal disease. By contouring the gums through crown lengthening, you cannot only improve the look and confidence of your smile, but also prevent future problems.
Connective Tissue Graft
The indications for this type of graft is when there is inadequate attached tissue (pink firm fixed tissue) around the tooth or teeth, along with the visible root recession is visually unpleasing and or causes cold sensitivity. This procedure can also be used for covering over small cavities that are removed and avoid a restoration in the area. If recession occurs and results in the red, movable mucosal tissue surrounding the tooth or teeth, significant recession at a much quicker rate can occur. The reason for this is that the mucosal tissue is not resistant to toothbrush wear and can be very tender to brushing. Also, the mucosal tissue is not firmly bound down on the tooth and bone, resulting in food getting trapped under the tissue, resulting in an abscess. This can cause significant bone loss in a very short period. Keep in mind, during the time the gums creep away from the tooth, so does the resorption of the bone. All of this results in possible loss of teeth.
