Identification and management of passive eruption

excessive gingival display can affect the total esthetics of a smile, becoming the focus instead of the frame of the smile. This can be the result of passive eruption of the gingival complex as the teeth erupt.1,2 the condition of delayed or altered passive eruption exists when the gingival complex remains positioned coronal to the cementoenamel junction with the attachment on the enamel instead of the cementum of the root, giving the appearance of short clinical crowns.3 crown lengthening4 is critical to the success of creating a smile that is harmoniously balanced with its surrounding facial features.5 patients who clinically display too much gingival tissue and short teeth require a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan to provide a predictable esthetic outcome.6 if a patient has altered passive eruption (APE) of the maxillary anterior teeth either secondary to orthodontic treatment or without orthodontic treatment, but the patient has completed facial growth,7 then the practitioner must first correct the gingival levels with either a gingivectomy or esthetic crown lengthening procedure before the placement of veneers or crowns. Thus ensuring that the eventual gingival margins of the maxillary anterior teeth will be at their correct level relative to the adjacent anterior teeth.8