Fall River, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/17/2016 --Dr. Carl Ferreira is offering crown lengthening to patients needing restorative or aesthetic dentistry within the Massachusetts area. As a common surgical procedure, crown lengthening is implemented when not enough of the tooth sticks out above the gum line giving the patient a "gummy smile" or when the patient is in need of a crown or a filling due to underlying decay. Crown lengthening exposes more of the natural tooth by reshaping or re-contouring bone and gum tissue and can be performed on one single tooth, many teeth or the entire gum line.

A "gummy smile" is very common and happens when the patient has excessive gum tissue around their upper teeth causing the teeth to look unnaturally short. This can also make the patient more susceptible to periodontal infections. With a "gummy smile" the teeth may actually be the proper length but excess gum tissue is covering up majority of the tooth. In all cases Dr. Ferreira removes gum tissue, bone, or both to expose more of the tooth.

If decay happens to occur below the gum line, Dr. Ferreira may recommend crown lengthening to remove a small amount of bone and gum tissue in order to cut out the infected area. After Dr. Ferreira has made the necessary incisions he will then insert a temporary crown to protect the tooth and also making it easier to see just how much soft tissue or bone needs to be removed in preparation of the final crown. Once the temporary crown and incisions have healed the patient will return and Dr. Ferreira will prepare the tooth once more for installation of the final crown.

Crown lengthening is normally performed under a local anesthetic. If the patient has existing dental crowns they will be removed prior to surgery and immediately replaced after the procedure is complete. Dr. Ferreira will make a series of small incisions around the soft tissue in order to separate the gums from the teeth also giving Dr. Ferreira access to the roots of the teeth and underlying bone. Typically neighboring teeth are also treated to provide a more even and natural reshaping.

The amount of time this procedure takes depends on the amount of teeth that need to be worked on. In most cases, prior to the procedure, the patient will receive a tooth cleaning to avoid infection. Once Dr. Ferreira has exposed enough of the tooth, the surgical area will be washed with sterile salt water, gums will be stitched back together and will heal in about 3 months. Once the procedure is complete Dr. Ferreira may issue pain prescriptions and/or an antimicrobial mouth rinse to help any bacteria that my re-colonize.

Dr. Carl Ferreira and his team of dental professionals are extremely compassionate when it comes to their patients and offer a wide variety of dental services in addition to crown lengthening such as dental implants, crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays, teeth whitening and much more. To learn more about crown lengthening, other dental services or Dr. Ferreira himself please visit carlferreiradmd.com.

About Dr. Carl Ferreira DMD, P.C.
Dr. Ferreira attended The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in biology and then went on to study and graduate with honors at Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dental Medicine in 1979. In addition, Dr. Ferreira completed a General Practice Residency at Rhode Island Hospital which inevitably lead to the grand opening of his practice. Dr. Carl Ferreira has been practicing for over 27 years and has taken a plethora of continuing education classes in order to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and give his patients the most advanced dental care.