Procedure to Correct Longer Tooth?

I seem to remember a similar problem on fixing an uneven moustache in a Grouch Marx movie. It didn't go well. Since your description is that one is simply longer that the other one, one way is to have a dentist perform enameloplasty. This is simply recontouring the outer edge of tooth enamel to shorten the longer front tooth evenly with the shorter one. The other option is to lengthen the shorter one with a veneer to be even with the longer one... more

Your question was what the best way was to correct one top front tooth that is longer than the other.  You have choices here that you and your dentist need to explore together by evaluating your whole smile,  If you decide that one tooth is too long,  can be contured and polished to match the shorter one very quickly. However, it the longer tooth looks better and matches the surrounding teeth, you might want to consider lengthening the shorter one to match the longer one... more

It is interesting that you are observing that "one tooth is longer" and not "one tooth is shorter."  When patients tell me this I always help them evaluate their smile and we determine the best course.  As a rule of thumb, you would want your front 2 teeth to be the same length and for them to be around the length of you canine teeth (the pointy ones).  If the short one is the length of the canine teeth, then shortening the long one may be an... more

There are two ways to make teeth the same length, shorten the longer one or lengthen the shorter one. The easiest is to shorten, simply contour and polish the longer one. This could be 5 minutes. To lengthen would likely require a veneer. The expense and time would be much more, but it may be the last little thing that really makes the smile "pop"!

Before you have anything permanent done to your front teeth, and polishing the longer/veneering the shorter are two good ideas, be sure to explore why they don't match. There are many possibilities, but if you've worn down that shorter one, why did your bite do that? Look into that situation, especially before you have something like a porcelain veneer. If you make the longer one match, then continue to wear down the shorter one, eventually you'll have them both... more

Since you said one tooth is LONGER than the other, we might assume you'd like it shorter. You didn't phrase it by saying one tooth is SHORTER than the other. Shorter teeth can be extruded with orthodontics or veneers. Long teeth can be trimmed down to match.

An evaluation would be needed, but a surgical procedure could solve this problem.  Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure which entails either removing or adding hard or soft tissue to make the gum line more even.  It is a more complete solution than just putting veneers or crowns.  

You have one tooth longer than the other. A careful smile analysis will reveal the most aesthetic and functional position for the two teeth. Then you can decide among options to correct the problem. Those might be short term orthodontics, bonding to the shorter tooth,  or shortening the longer tooth.

I like to look at the whole smile to decide if polishing down the long tooth would improve esthetics or make both teeth look too short.  A veneer is the longest lasting, most esthetic way to make a tooth longer if significant tooth is missing.