Crown lengthening cost guide · United States
Crown lengthening cost, explained.
What a periodontist charges to expose more tooth, why a gum-only reshape can cost a third of a bone case, and how to find a practice that will put the fee in writing.
The short answer
Crown lengthening usually costs $700–$1,800 for one tooth when gum and bone are both recontoured. A gum-only reshape is closer to $350–$900. Aesthetic work across the upper front teeth commonly runs $2,000–$5,000. Insurance may cover part of a medically necessary case; cosmetic contouring is usually excluded.
One procedure, several price bands
Crown lengthening is not one fixed operation. The fee tracks how much tissue has to move, whether bone is involved, and how many teeth the gum line has to cross.
| Situation | Planning range | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| One tooth, gum and bone | $700 – $1,800 | The standard functional procedure: gum is raised and a small amount of bone is recontoured so the crown can seal on solid tooth. |
| One tooth, gum only | $350 – $900 | A gingivectomy-style reshape when enough tooth is already exposed and only the gum needs levelling. |
| Aesthetic, 4–6 teeth | $2,000 – $5,000 | Upper-arch gum contouring, with or without bone recontour, planned around the smile line and tooth proportions. |
| Laser gum contouring | $400 – $1,200 | Soft-tissue only. It cannot lengthen a crown that is short because of bone; a laser does not remove bone. |
| With extraction or bone graft | $900 – $2,600 | A combined surgical site: the tooth is removed, the site is grafted, or both are done in the same visit. |
Ranges are 2026 US cash-pay planning figures for the surgical fee. They exclude the consultation, imaging, sedation, a temporary crown and any separate bone graft. A practice quote is the only number that applies to your tooth.
Six things that move a quote
How many teeth
One tooth is a small surgical site. Aesthetic crown lengthening usually covers four to six upper teeth so the gum line stays even; the fee rises with each additional tooth and with the need to blend the result into the smile.
Gum only or gum and bone
Removing gum is faster and cheaper than recontouring bone. Functional crown lengthening often needs bone removed so the crown has at least 3 mm of sound tooth to seal against; that converts a gingivectomy into a flap and osseous surgery.
Who performs it
A periodontist's surgical fee is usually higher than a general dentist's for the same procedure, but the procedure is core periodontal training. Complex cases, cosmetic cases and re-treatment are usually referred.
Where you live
Metro practices in high-rent markets charge more than small-city practices. The directory lists practices by city so you can collect two or three local quotes instead of relying on a national average.
Sedation and add-ons
Local anaesthesia is included. Oral or IV sedation, a surgical guide, a temporary crown, a bone graft or a frenectomy are billed separately and can add several hundred dollars.
Insurance status
Crown lengthening is often classified as restorative or periodontal rather than cosmetic. That distinction decides whether a plan pays anything at all; see the insurance guide for the questions to ask.
Why a crown needs 3 mm of tooth
A crown is only as good as the seal at its edge. That seal needs sound tooth above the gum and a healthy band of attachment below it.
When a tooth breaks below the gum line, or a crown margin would sit within about 2 mm of the bone, the body cannot maintain the seal. The gum stays inflamed, the margin leaks, and the crown fails early. Crown lengthening moves the gum and bone down so the margin lands on solid tooth with room for the attachment to re-form.
The same logic explains the aesthetic version: if the teeth look short because the gum covers more of the crown than it should, the fix is to move the gum line — and sometimes the bone — not to make longer-looking crowns over the existing teeth.
The 3 mm rule, in practice
- 1 mm of sound tooth for the crown margin and the seal.
- 1 mm of attached gum tissue so the margin can be cleaned.
- 1 mm of connective-tissue attachment over the bone.
Surgeons call the last two bands the biologic width. A restoration that violates it tends to produce chronic inflammation, recession or bone loss — which is why the procedure removes bone, not just gum.
Find a periodontist who does crown lengthening
603 periodontal practices across 58 city pages and 33 state pages, compiled from public business listings. A listing is a starting point, not an endorsement.
Four guides that answer the first questions
What crown lengthening actually does
Gum, bone and the 3 mm of tooth a crown needs to seal against. The procedure in plain language.
Before a crownCrown lengthening for a crown
Why a dentist sends you before restoring a broken or short tooth, and what changes if you skip it.
CosmeticAesthetic crown lengthening
How smile-line contouring differs from functional surgery, who it suits and what it costs.
RecoveryThe two-week recovery timeline
What the first 48 hours look like, when sutures come out and when the new gum line settles.
Common questions
How much does crown lengthening cost?
A single tooth usually falls between $700 and $1,800 when both gum and bone are recontoured. A gum-only reshape is often $350 to $900. Aesthetic crown lengthening across four to six upper teeth typically runs $2,000 to $5,000. These are 2026 US cash-pay planning ranges, not quotes.
Does dental insurance cover crown lengthening?
Sometimes. A plan is more likely to pay when the procedure is medically necessary for a restoration or to treat gum disease, and less likely to pay for aesthetic contouring. Many plans classify it as a periodontal or restorative procedure and cover 50% to 80% after a deductible, subject to an annual maximum. Ask for a pre-treatment estimate.
Is crown lengthening painful?
The procedure is done with local anaesthesia, so it should not hurt while it is happening. Most people manage afterwards with over-the-counter pain relief. Swelling, gum soreness and sensitivity around the treated teeth are common for a few days to two weeks.
How long does it take to heal?
The gum surface closes within one to two weeks and sutures are usually removed at 7 to 14 days. The gum line continues to mature for two to three months. If a crown is planned, most dentists wait at least six weeks and often three months before taking the final impression.
Is crown lengthening the same as a gingivectomy?
No. A gingivectomy removes gum tissue only. Crown lengthening may remove gum and reshape bone, which is what creates room for a crown or corrects a smile when the teeth are short because of the bone level. The two are sometimes combined, but they are not interchangeable.
Can a general dentist do crown lengthening?
Some general dentists perform gum-only contouring. Functional crown lengthening that involves bone, aesthetic cases planned around the smile line and re-treatment are usually referred to a periodontist. Ask who performs the surgery and how often they do it.