How much does crown lengthening cost?

Crown lengthening columbus ohio is a dental procedure that can improve your smile by removing excess gum tissue that surrounds the top teeth. In some cases, dentists also remove small amounts of bone in a crown lengthening procedure. The crown lengthening procedure, quite simply, makes your teeth appear longer. There are a few reasons people undergo crown lengthening procedures, though. Some patients need crown lengthening treatment so that the dentist can place a crown or filling on their tooth. If your tooth has broken or fractured near the gumline and the remaining tooth doesn’t protrude far enough from the gum, your dentist may need to remove part of the gum, enlarging the available tooth, to allow the crown or filling to be placed. You may also need crown lengthening if there is tooth decay beneath your gumline; the gum must be removed in order to treat the decay that is beneath it. Some people elect to undergo a crown lengthening procedure for cosmetic purposes. If an excessive amount of your gums are visible when you smile, this is what’s called a gummy smile. A crown lengthening procedure can improve a gummy smile, and it can also improve the appearance of an irregular gumline. Whether your crown lengthening procedure is for medical reasons or aesthetic reasons, it’s important to understand the procedure, including its costs, before treatment.

Before a crown lengthening procedure, you will first have a dental examination. Your dentist will review your x-rays and your medical history with you, and you will have your teeth cleaned to prepare for the procedure. Your dentist may also place a temporary crown before your procedure, to better determine which tissue will need to be removed. For the procedure itself, your dentist will administer a local anesthetic to the area that will be treated. Once the site is sufficiently numbed, the dentist will begin the procedure, making tiny incisions in your gums in order to pull the gum tissue away from the teeth. After the gum tissue is lifted back, your dentist will be able to see the roots of your teeth and the bones that hold the teeth in place. The dentist will then treat the exposed area as needed, according to your treatment needs. It may be necessary to remove a small amount of bone as well, depending on the location of any decay and the reasons for your crown lengthening treatment. After the area has been treated, your dentist will sterilize the surgical site, using saline, and then reattach the gums with stitches.

The crown lengthening procedure varies in duration depending on the reasons for treatment and the number of teeth being treated. It makes sense that your procedure will take longer if you have more teeth that need treatment. Even if you only have one tooth that needs crown lengthening treatment, the dentist will reshape the gums when reattaching them and may also operate on adjacent teeth, to properly align the gums upon reattachment. Following the crown lengthening procedure, you’ll probably notice some swelling, which is totally normal. An ice pack applied to the face can reduce the swelling, and you may also choose to take a painkiller to reduce soreness. While you recover, be sure to eat only soft foods and exercise caution while brushing the areas of the gums where there are stitches. Your dentist will remove your stitches 7 to 10 days after your crown lengthening procedure, and you will have a second follow-up appointment in about 4 to 6 weeks, to make sure everything is healing properly. Once your gums have fully healed, usually in about 3 months, your dentist will place your new crown.

The cost of a crown lengthening procedure can depend on several different factors. The most significant variable is the number of teeth that require the procedure; the more teeth that are treated, the more expensive the treatment. Dental insurance may cover, or at least subsidize, your crown lengthening treatment if it is the result of tooth decay. If your crown lengthening procedure is for cosmetic reasons, however, it is less likely to be covered by dental insurance, even in part. Many dentists will offer financing plans for patients who elect to undergo treatments that are not covered by insurance. The surgical element of a crown lengthening procedure ranges from $50 to $350 when being performed for a single tooth. If multiple teeth are being treated, it will usually cost $1,500 or more. This cost is for the surgical procedure of gum removal and replacement; if bone grafts are necessary, the cost will increase. Additional costs can include any crown or filling that is to be placed as part of the procedure, as well as the cost of a preliminary cleaning, examination, and x-rays. Be sure to talk to your doctor about each step of your treatment so that you can adequately estimate the cost of your specific treatment.

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