Cavities can decay the tooth to the point where restoration is virtually impossible without a procedure called crown lengthening. Crown lengthening is a routine surgical procedure, in which Dr. Faler will reshape the contour of the gum line. When there is not enough tooth structure to affix a crown above the gum line, many times we can access the tooth by exposing some tooth structure below the gum line in order to have a successfully sealed crown. Crown lengthening is very routine and successful in exposing more of the tooth, so that the dentist can get a successful seal on strong, solid tooth.