Adjust the gum line to save a tooth
The goal of most dentists is to save teeth, not remove them. That’s the reason most dentists will fill a cavity instead of pulling the infected tooth.
Crown lengthening is another procedure that allows a dentist to save a tooth rather than pull it. The procedure is common and is used to remodel the contour of the gum line. The procedure does not actually lengthen the crown, but rather lowers the gum line.
When there is not enough tooth structure for a crown to be placed on a tooth, crown lengthening may be the only option. Sometimes, a tooth has been broken below the gum line. In this instance, crown lengthening is successful in exposing more of the tooth, so that the dentist has more tooth to work with.