Simultaneous team approach of a crown-lengthening procedure and an operative restoration: Technique and long-term effect

Traditionally, crown-lengthening procedures to expose subgingival caries for operative restorative work are carried out in a two-stage approach. A disadvantage of this procedure is that the gingival margin associated with the treated tooth moves apically; this may create an esthetic problem. Resin-modified glass-ionomer cement has been demonstrated to have good biocompatibility with dental hard and soft tissues. Surgical and restorative procedures were combined at the same appointment in an effort to achieve a restoration with minimal change in the gingival margin. Four patients have been treated with this one-stage team approach and followed for 8 to 13 months. The clinical results demonstrated this team approach procedure is excellent for the dentition when esthetics is a consideration.