There are different ways to cut a tooth so that it can be crowned. One of these methods is known as a tangent cut.

A tangent cut is very quick and easy to perform. A part of the tooth is simply sawed off diagonally. The disadvantage to this type of cut is that the technician needs to allow some extra width for the ceramic part at the edge of the bridge, as otherwise this part would break. This results in an overjet in the edges. In order to hide these, the edges of the cut are set under the gums. A dental probe or floss, as well as bits of food, can get caught on these edges. This in turn results in inflammation of the gums, which over the course of time causes the gums to recede, which reveals the edges of the bridge – as seen in the picture, the risk of a root cavity is very high. Unfortunately, the tangent cut is the most common kind of cut performed!