Can You Make Short Teeth Longer?
Depending on the cause of your short teeth, there are a few treatment options available to lengthen teeth and give you a healthy, beautiful smile. Short teeth are often and inherited trait but they can also be a result of a developmental issue. Your dentist will help you determine what treatment option is best for you to lengthen your teeth and give you a smile that you are excited to show!
How can you make short teeth longer?
If you have a gummy smile, the excess of gum tissue may be able to be removed using a laser assisted contouring procedure. The laser will cut away tissue to expose more tooth structure and give you larger teeth!
Dental bonding can also be applied to make teeth longer but is usually only appropriate for a few teeth. Bonding uses a composite material that is applied directly onto the tooth surface. Your dentist will use an acid solution to etch the tooth being treated to make it rough so that the bonding has a good surface to adhere to. Composite bonding is a great way to lengthen your teeth and is very strong, but not as strong as porcelain. Composite is also susceptible to staining and will last 5 to 7 years with proper care.
Porcelain restorations on the other hand can last 20+ years and are incredibly durable. Porcelain does not stain and even though it can ship, it is nearly as hard as your natural tooth enamel so it is much less likely to chip than bonding. Porcelain restorations that are used to lengthen teeth include dental veneers and dental crowns. A veneer is wafer thin and covers only the front surface of the tooth that shows when you smile. A dental crown is considerably thicker than a veneer and covers the entire tooth. Veneers are used on front teeth and crowns are used on back teeth, though they can be placed on front teeth when needed.
Caring For Your New Teeth
Good oral hygiene is the number one way to make your new lengthened teeth last as long as possible! Tooth decay can develop underneath bonding or porcelain restorations so it is important to continue seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and checkups. Dental x-rays will reveal anything hiding beneath your restorations and your dentist will be able to remove the restoration and the decay and put on a new, healthy restoration.
With the options we have discussed here, you can be sure that there is a treatment option that is right for you if you have short teeth that you would like to lengthen. Your dentist will be able to review all options with you and together, you can determine the best path of treatment for your individual case.