featuring Jon B. Suzuki, DDS, PhD, MBA & Gordon J. Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD 

You routinely face these frustrating challenges in your practice: teeth in the smile zone that have uneven and unsightly gingival levels; teeth for which you are planning crowns that do not have adequate clinical crown length to provide optimum retention of crowns. Simple laser or electosurgery soft-tissue removal solves some of the problems. But, what is the solution to those clinical situations where merely removal of soft-tissue is judged to be inadequate?  Crown lengthening is a simple surgical procedure that should be incorporated into every practice. You need only determine the most acceptable level of the periodontal supporting structures, make a few easy incisions, make a flap, remove the appropriate amount of osseous tissue, reposition the gingival flap, and await healing.  Crown lengthening, including needed recontouring of underlying osseous tissue, should be a part of every restorative practice.