Dental Implant or Crown Lengthening

Most people prefer dental implants since they fill in any gaps and match the color of the patient's teeth. With crown lengthening, you have a more symmetrical smile, which gives you a younger image.

Dental implants are surgically implanted medical devices that are put into the jawbone. When the tooth is lost, it serves as the tooth's root. Dental implants are used to support dentures, bridges, and crowns.

Crown lengthening aims to expose more of the tooth's surface by altering the tissues at the injured tooth's base. Crown lengthening is necessary when teeth are too short, decay is severe below the gum line, or a broken or fractured tooth is below the gum line.

What are the Pros and Cons of Dental Implants vs. Crown Lengthening?

Crown lengthening and implant placement are two distinct techniques to replace a broken-down tooth. The selection is based on which treatment will produce the best long-term results while being the least aggressive and improving the patient's overall health.

Dental implants are required when you have lost teeth but cannot get crowns, bridges, or dentures. Replacing missing teeth is critical since the repercussions of losing a tooth and doing nothing can lead to a much worse problem later on.

Crown lengthening is required when the teeth are too short, serious dental decay behind the gum line, or a damaged or fractured tooth beneath the gum line. Crown lengthening is an effort to increase the success rate of restorative dental appliances by exposing more of the healthy surface area of the tooth. Dental appliances have a better chance of staying in place and not weakening or falling off with more surface area to deal with.

See more about Dental Implant treatment Costa Mesa.

Pros of Dental Implants vs. Crown Lengthening

	Dental Implants	Crown Lengthening
Success Rate	Dental implants have a success rate of more than 95%, according to studies.	Crown lengthening has an 81% success rate, according to research published in the Journal of Endodontics.
Treatment Period	Healing takes longer and is not suggested for people with demanding schedules.	While recovery is three months, patients must relax and avoid vigorous activities for two to three days.
Level of Invasiveness	Dental implants need surgery; however, they are less invasive than typical oral surgery such as tooth extraction. Modern dentistry enables faster and simpler surgical procedures.	Crown lengthening, a minimally invasive surgical technique that most oral surgeons may undertake.
Cost	Dental implant cost generally range in price between $3,000 and $6,000. The cost includes the installation of the post, abutment, and crown.	Crown lengthening procedures range in price from $50 to $350.
Number of Dental Visits	Usually, individuals visit the dentist five times before deciding on dental implants.	The crown lengthening treatment requires two to three dental appointments.

Cons of Dental Implants vs. Crown Lengthening

	Dental Implants	Crown Lengthening
Success Rate	It is believed that 5 to 10% of dental implants fail soon after the treatment or months or years later.	It has been found that 14.5% of crown lengthening treatments fail after six weeks.
Treatment Period	A conventional dental implant treatment might take 3 to 15 months.	A crown lengthening surgery typically takes 1 to 3 months to complete.
Level of Invasiveness	Because dental implants are a surgical operation, the possibility of infection, nerve damage, or bleeding will jeopardize healing  time.	While crown lengthening is a oral surgery, complications such as severe bleeding, gum soreness, and high sensitivity might arise during the process.
Cost	Dental implants are expensive, and insurance companies do not usually cover them.	The cost of crown lengthening grows as more teeth require crown lengthening procedures. While crown lengthening for medical reasons is generally covered by insurance, crown lengthening for aesthetic reasons is not.
Number of Dental Visits	Dental implant surgery cannot be completed in a single dentist appointment. It is not suggested for individuals with hectic schedules since they are more likely to skip their appointments, lengthening treatment and recovery time.	When the patient has other dental issues that must be addressed first, it will require more than three dental appointments.

People choose dental implants over crown lengthening because they feel, function, and appear similar to their original teeth. Crown lengthening, on the other hand, is typically favored by patients who desire a less intrusive way to make their smile seem more natural.

Learn about Dental Implant for Seniors

How to Decide Whether Dental Implants or Crown Lengthening Is Best for You?

Crown lengthening is a good alternative when the tooth has not undergone much restorative dentistry, and there is a considerable amount of healthy tooth structure left that will provide access to restore the tooth. Nevertheless, assume that further procedures, like endodontics, orthodontic extrusion, or substantial post and core build-ups, are required at a high cost. In that circumstance, a dental implant is the best option because keeping a tooth is no longer cost-effective.

Prior Dental Treatment History

A patient's long-term prognosis is jeopardized if they have a history of root canal therapy, significant tooth decay, or any other treatment that compromises the tooth's integrity, regardless of whether a dental implant or crown lengthening is performed. There comes a moment when restoring prior repairs becomes more important than fixing real tooth components. In this situation, the patient may benefit more from extraction with implant insertion.

Crown-to-Root Ratio

For a successful treatment, the dentist must examine the crown-to-root ratio following crown lengthening. Crown lengthening, the less-aggressive treatment option, is indicated by root structure supported by sound bone larger than the mass of the final restoration. If the ratio is less than 1:1, an extraction with implant insertion will typically result in a far more predictable, long-lasting solution.

Maintenance of Gum Tissue After Crown Lengthening

Therapy for a single tooth should be considered in the context of the patient's overall treatment goals. For individuals with a "gummy grin," for example, crown lengthening is ideal since it can improve the patient's look while enabling access to replace the problematic tooth. In contrast, crown lengthening may result in root surface or bifurcation exposure when the patient has a history of periodontal bone loss, making daily cleaning more difficult and raising the risk of additional periodontal breakdown.

Treatment Cost

When the tooth has not received any restorative dentistry and there looks to be a large amount of good tooth structure, crown lengthening alone will give access to treat the tooth. Nevertheless, assume that further procedures, like endodontics, orthodontic extrusion, or substantial post and core build-ups, are required at a high cost. In that scenario, you must decide if preserving the tooth is worthwhile.

Each extra operation raises the expense and the likelihood of future treatment failure.

What is the Difference Between Dental Implants and Crown Lengthening?

Dental implants assist in the replacement of a lost tooth since the repercussions of a missing tooth can evolve into a much greater problem over time. Dental implants are utilized when you have lost teeth and cannot wear dentures, bridges, or crowns. When teeth are injured beyond the gum line, crown lengthening is used to expose the affected region and give access to treatment. The most common reasons for crown lengthening include teeth that are too short, significant dental rot behind the gum line, or a damaged or fractured tooth beneath the gum line.

Is Dental Implant Surgery More Painful Than Crown Lengthening?

No. Virtually everyone who has crown lengthening operations done will be given a local anesthetic and may be given dental sedation to help with the discomfort. This implies that the crown lengthening treatment is almost painless. Read What and When Can I Eat After Dental Implant Surgery?

See more on restorative dentistry Dental Implants, helps you live a life full of confidence by providing you with permanent restorations without the hassles of dentures.

How Long Does It Take For Gums To Heal After Dental Implant and Crown Lengthening?

Dental implants can take 3 to 6 months to recover and in some circumstances, longer.

Once the implant heals and binds with the bone, a permanent link is formed.

The crown lengthening treatment, on the other hand, takes roughly three months to recuperate.

When your gums recover, you will be able to resume routine activities.

Our Location:

Dentistry at Its Finest
1202 Bristol St #120
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 239-0020