If you are going to have a crown lengthened, it means how we go about making your dental crown bigger. You may be wondering what I am talking about because your perception of what a crown actually is maybe different. Well, dentists like me use the proper term "crown" to mean your natural tooth, which is easily seen by smiling.

The crown is the part of the tooth that sticks out from the gumline and can easily be seen.

You can also use the word crown for the artificial material that dentists put on your damaged teeth.

Confusing? Well, I told you it would be.

Gummy teeth is something that many people have. This means your gumline may be quite high. So much so that it make your natural crown look short. Every time you smile, your teeth are dominated by your gums.

Often dental patients in my Ashburn dental office prefer not to have a gummy smile. Maybe they might have medical reasons to lengthen the crowns.

The procedure to make dental crowns longer is fairly straightforward. During the process I have to do some work on your gumline. I need to remove some of it so there is more white visible. This gives the impression that your teeth are longer. If we are preparing the tooth to receive a porcelain crown, we may go a little into the bone. However, we try our best to stick with the gum and usually succeed.

When we do crown lengthening in my Ashburn dental office, you will be under local anesthetic. When you are nice and numb, I will take out my laser or an alternative cutter to cut away, little by little, on your gum borders.

I may also do so for the adjacent teeth. This is an effective way of not taking off too much gum from one area. I am really careful about doing this and my record speaks for itself. There are plenty of customers who have gone away happy.

Maybe you want a porcelain crown as well. If so, first I will prepare the tooth and put on a temporary crown. In a few weeks or so you need to see us again for the next stage. This is when we will give you your shiny new, lab-fabricated crown.

When it comes to crown lengthening, if it is done for cosmetic reasons only, then you're all done. Possibly, you want to go that extra mile and get some veneers. Or even things like my other Ashburn cosmetic dentistry.

If you want to know more, please see me. I am eager to seek your views on our cosmetic dentistry, at our dental clinic here in Ashburn.