Dental and periodontal dimensions stability after esthetic clinical crown lengthening surgery: a 12‐month clinical study

To evaluate the stability of periodontal tissues 3 (T₃), 6 (T₆), and 12 (T₁₂) months after esthetic crown lengthening (ACL) and the possible correlations between changes in those structures.

Twenty individuals were evaluated through clinical assessment, photography, and tomography. Measurements included gingival margin (GM), clinical crown length (CCL), interdental papilla height (PH) and width (PW), gingival thickness (GT), bone thickness (BT), probing depth (PD), distance between alveolar crest and GM, distance between alveolar crest and cementoenamel junction. Nonparametric and correlation statistics were performed (p < 0.05).

CCL at T₀ was 7.42 ± 0.70 mm and increased to 9.48 ± 0.49 mm immediately after ACL, but it decreased to 8.93 ± 0.65 mm at T₁₂. PD decreased 0.60 mm from T₀ to T₆, and it increased 0.39 mm from T₆ to T₁₂. BT decreased 0.20 mm, while GT increased 0.29 mm from T₀ to T₁₂. Both PW and PH showed enlargement in T₁₂. A positive moderate correlation was found between CCL/T₀ and CCL/T₁₂, GT/T₀ and AC-GM/T₁₂, BT/T₀ and GT/T₁₂. A few negative moderate correlations were PD/T₀ and CCL/T₁₂, PD/T₀ and PH/T₀, PD/T₀ and BT/T₁₂.

ACL procedure was effective. Although some rebound occurred, that was not clinically important. PD tended to reestablish its original length, partially due to a migration of GM during the healing period. Besides, a thickening of supracrestal soft tissues was observed.

The present study centers on the factors influencing the stability of periodontal tissues after esthetic crown lengthening, underscoring the procedure’s influence on esthetics and biology and the need for careful treatment planning.