Crown Care After Lengthening of the Tooth

If you need a crown but your exposed tooth is too small for your dentist to place one, she could need to lengthen your tooth first. This gives her more tooth surface to work with.

Lengthening the Tooth

• A dentist lengthens a tooth by removing gum and some bone tissue, exposing more of your tooth's structure. Once she has done this, she can attach a crown to the newly exposed portion of the tooth, according to Colgate.com.

Aftercare

• You might not be able to brush and floss thoroughly while healing from tooth lengthening and having a crown installed. Your dentist can recommend a chemical anti-plaque rinse to help preserve your dental health.

Considerations

• You will need to go back to your dentist for regular checkups on your gums and the new crown to be sure everything is healing well. If you experience bleeding or discharge, let your dentist know right away, according to "Periodontology: the Essentials."