Why choose crown
lengthening with us?
- Thorough assessment using impressions, x-rays and clinical photographs before any treatment begins
- A mock-up of your future smile, so you can see the expected result before we start
- Treatment carried out by our specialist periodontists and prosthodontists
- A choice of surgical approaches, matched to your specific clinical needs
- All non-surgical alternatives discussed and explained at your consultation
- Clear guidance throughout, from planning to healing
What are the benefits of crown lengthening?
Stronger foundation
Exposes enough sound tooth structure for a crown or veneer to be fitted securely and last well.
Improved appearance
Corrects a "gummy" smile or short-looking teeth by rebalancing the ratio of gum to tooth.
Precisely planned
Carried out using impressions, x-rays and a mock-up, so you know what to expect before treatment begins.
Specialist-led
Performed by our experienced periodontists and prosthodontists, using the technique best suited to your case.
When crown lengthening is needed
There are several situations where crown lengthening can help save or restore a tooth that might otherwise be difficult to treat:
- A fractured root or crown that has left too little tooth structure for a crown to grip onto
- A root that has been perforated during previous treatment
- Tooth wear that has shortened the visible crown over time
- Decay that extends below the gum line, onto the root surface
When crown lengthening isn't suitable
Crown lengthening isn’t right for every case, and we’ll always check for the following before recommending it:
- Smoking, which can compromise healing after most types of gum surgery
- Thin or delicate gum tissue
- Poor oral hygiene, which increases surgical risk
- Bone loss between the roots of a back tooth (furcation involvement)
- A result that would leave the crown of the tooth disproportionately long compared with the root
- Front teeth that already have naturally long clinical crowns
- A tooth with too little healthy structure left to be worth restoring
Where crown lengthening isn’t the right fit, we’ll talk you through the alternatives, which may include orthodontic extrusion of the tooth or, in some cases, extraction.
Types of crown lengthening we offer
Depending on your goals and the condition of the tooth, treatment may involve:
- Gum reshaping (gingivectomy), often using laser techniques, where the concern is mainly aesthetic
- Apically repositioned gum surgery, carried out by our specialist periodontist to reposition the gum line
- Apically repositioned gum surgery with bone reduction, also carried out by our specialist periodontist, for cases where the underlying bone level needs adjusting too
- Forced root eruption using orthodontics, gently drawing the tooth root further out of the bone
- Forced root eruption using surgery, a more direct surgical approach to the same goal
- Crown lengthening to expose more root structure for a crown or veneer, carried out by our specialist prosthodontists as part of a wider restorative plan
We’ll recommend whichever approach gives you the strongest, most natural-looking long-term result.
Frequently Asked Questions
The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you shouldn't feel pain during treatment. Some tenderness, swelling or mild discomfort is normal for a few days afterwards and can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain relief and our aftercare guidance.
Initial soft tissue healing generally takes a couple of weeks, though full stabilisation of the gum and bone can take longer. We'll usually wait several weeks to months before fitting a permanent crown, to make sure the tissue has settled into its new position.
Not necessarily. It depends on how much healthy tooth structure is available and how your gum and bone levels sit around the tooth. We'll assess this using impressions, x-rays and photographs at your consultation, and only recommend crown lengthening where it's genuinely needed.
Depending on the tooth, alternatives can include orthodontic extrusion, which gently pulls the tooth root further out of the bone over time, or, where a tooth is too damaged to restore, extraction and replacement. We'll always discuss these options with you before recommending surgery.
No. While it's often used to correct a gummy smile or improve proportions for veneers, it's just as commonly used to expose enough sound tooth structure to allow a crown to be fitted securely following a fracture, root damage or decay below the gum line.