When decay occurs below the gumline or a tooth has fractured off below the gumline, it may be necessary to remove a small amount of bone and gum tissue in order to expose enough healthy tooth structure to facilitate the placement of a high quality restoration. Your dentist may ask for this procedure before he or she makes a new crown for your tooth.

The procedure involves adjusting the levels of the gum tissue and bone around the tooth in question, to create a new gum-to–tooth relationship. This allows us to reach the edge of the restoration, ensuring a proper fit to the tooth. It should also provide enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future. This allows you to clean the edge of the restoration when you brush and floss to prevent decay and gum disease. The procedure takes approximately one hour.

When the procedure is completed, sutures and a protective “bandage” are placed to help secure the new gum-to-tooth relationship. You will need to be seen in one or two weeks to remove the sutures and evaluate your healing. Usually we will wait 6 weeks for complete healing before you go back to see your dentist for the new crown. After the complete healing, your gum line is more stable and it will less likely to change (gum recession).

request an appointment