Canadian Academy of Periodontology
The foundation of a healthy smile
Esthetic crown lengthening
It is possible that during normal growth and development too much gum tissue forms around the teeth. This is often referred to as a "gummy" smile (top picture).
Teeth will appear shortened and the gum margin where the gum contacts the tooth may appear to have a ledge as opposed to a fine contour line.
The esthetic crown-lengthening is a procedure similar to conventional
crown-lengthening. Its goal is to establish proper gingival contours
while exposing the complete crown of the tooth (bottom picture).