While a far more common periodontal problem is to have too little gum tissue due to periodontal disease and gradual gum recession, having too much gum tissue can also be problematic. Crown lengthening is the number one procedure used by periodontists to correct a "gummy smile" and other problems related to excess periodontal tissue in particular locations in your mouth.

Crown lengthening is sometimes necessary to deal with a "gummy" smile or enable another dental procedure such as a tooth extraction or putting in dental implants.

When you have too little gum tissue, a common problem, it’s best fixed through gum graft surgery and/or periodontal treatment. But when you have too much gum tissue, the opposite procedure, called crown lengthening, is in order.

Crown lengthening is a dental procedure that's done when your gum line is too high. It's the opposite of PST grafts, which periodontists use to treat a badly receded gum line.

Crown lengthening may be done for purely aesthetic purposes (to cure that "gummy" smile), but it's usually done in conjunction with other dental procedures, like putting in a filling or a dental crown, to make those procedures easier.

Crown lengthening is a periodontal surgery that is sometimes necessary to reduce an excessively high gum line, to make oral hygiene easier, reduce the risks of gum disease, or to enable the performance of another dental operation like a tooth extraction or the installation of a dental crown.