Crown Lengthening in Galveston, TX

Making your smile beautiful isn't always as easy as a whitening treatment or teeth straightening. Overgrown gums can hide your sexy teeth. The board-certified dental professionals at MINT dentistry are skilled in crown lengthening to boost your oral health and smile. Despite its name, crown lengthening doesn't actually make your teeth longer. A clearer name would be "tooth exposure” because excess tissue is eliminated to show more enamel, making your teeth look longer. Your dentist may suggest crown lengthening to improve the appearance of your smile or to expose more enamel so your tooth can hold a tooth-colored filling or restoration (like a crown). To get more information on how crown lengthening can improve your oral health and appearance, contact us to schedule an initial consultation at our practice in Galveston, TX.

Crown lengthening candidates should have a healthy mouth, especially the gums. Gum disease and other periodontal conditions will be addressed first and then crown lengthening can be scheduled. Typically, crown lengthening is a cosmetic treatment to improve a "gummy" smile. Excess gum tissue will be excised to balance the amount of gums to enamel for an even gumline. Crown lengthening might also be required to complete a restoration. We might recommend crown lengthening to expose more enamel to have enough room for a tooth-colored filling, bridge, or crown. In your consultation at our advanced office, your dental team will evaluate your oral health to decide if crown lengthening fits your needs and goals.

Your crown lengthening treatment will begin with our experienced dental professionals making sure you're comfortable. Our modern treatment rooms all have Beats headphones, MINT sunglasses, and flat-screen televisions to help you stay relaxed throughout your treatment. Before the procedure begins, we will numb your gum tissue with a local anesthesia. MINT dentistry also offers several sedation dentistry methods. Sedation methods will be reviewed at your initial consultation. As soon as you are ready, your doctor will slowly and carefully excise small amounts of soft tissue, revealing more of your teeth with a higher, even gumline. Once the procedure is complete, your dentist will stop the bleeding by sealing the gum tissue and then rinsing your mouth.

Depending on which sedation method was used, you should arrange for a friend or family member take you home. Your mouth will probably feel swollen and sore after crown lengthening. Over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses are recommended to reduce your discomfort. For some patients, your dentist may write you a prescription for antibiotics and/or pain medication. You should eat a soft food diet and stay hydrated for about 3 – 5 days after the procedure. At home, you should clean your teeth with gentle brushing and mouthwash. You should not floss until your dentist tells you it's safe. A second appointment at our office should be made so we can check your recovery.

Your cost for crown lengthening will depend on many factors, like the reason it is being performed. If you have dental insurance, it may pay some of your costs. We will speak to your insurance company to calculate your out-of-pocket expenses after any coverage. For patients who don't have dental insurance, we will estimate your costs in your initial consultation and give you information on financing to help make your care easier to afford. If you do not have dental insurance, ask your dentist for more information on the MINT Discount Plan. Our MINT dentistry team is dedicated to helping you obtain the smile you want at a manageable cost.

Restore and transform your smile with a crown lengthening treatment at MINT dentistry in Galveston, TX. When you remove overgrown soft tissue, you can fix a "gummy" smile or make sure you have enough visible enamel for a filling or crown. Contact us to schedule an exam and consultation with a board-certified doctor at MINT dentistry to find out if you can benefit from a restorative or cosmetic crown lengthening procedure.