Indications & predisposing factors of crown lengthening surgery

Introduction: Since crown lengthening surgery could be accompanied by stress, pain and discomfort, knowledge about its predisposing factors could reduce the demands for such surgery.The aim of this study was to identify the most important indications of crown lengthening surgery in order to present new ideas to clinicians on how to reduce the need for this surgery. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 470 patients (aged 12-89 years) referred for crown lengthening surgery. The patients' demographic data and their reasons for surgery, the teeth restoration condition and its type, condition of the opposite tooth, type of fractured cusp (posterior teeth), root canal therapy condition and quality, and size of existing intracanal posts were recorded in a data sheet. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software.The chi-square and fisher exact test were used for statistical analysis. The significant difference was p<0.05. Results: The most frequent indication in men and women was dental caries followed by tooth fracture.The second upper premolars and first lower molars needed crown lengthening surgery more often, respectively. Conclusions: Since dental caries and fracture are the most important factors that predispose teeth to crown lengthening surgery, controlling caries with a regular recall sequence can reduce the need for such surgery, especially in the elderly.