Teeth - Gum Contouring - Gum Contouring

Teeth - Gum Contouring

Background
Many patients seeking a cosmetic improvement to their smile have little or nothing wrong with their teeth. Their concerns are their gums appearing too visible, or simply too big, when they smile.

"Gummy" smiles are a common problem, caused by overgrowth of the gum tissue that then covers the teeth. This can be caused by a variety of things, including heredity (from your family) health conditions, and even the use of some common high blood pressure medications.

These reasons can cause a smile to look crooked or lop-sided, or make the teeth seem almost smaller than the gums. Such problems can be easily corrected with a simple procedure known as a cosmetic gum lifting or contouring.

Teeth - Gum Contouring Treatment Information

What happens during the treatment?

A local anaesthetic is applied to the gums, and a laser (a ray of pure concentrated light) is used to trim away the small amounts of excess gum tissue and reshape the edges of the gums above the six front teeth that form the smile. The laser seals the blood vessels in the gums so that the tissue can heal quickly with relatively little discomfort to the patient.

Of course, there are times when reshaping the tissue alone is not enough. In those circumstances the bone at the front of the root of the teeth may have to be reduced. This is done because the gum edges need to be about three millimetres from the edge of the bone. If you don't reduce the bone, the tissue will grow back. This procedure, while more complicated than a simple gum lift, is still relatively comfortable when done properly.

Teeth - Gum Contouring Side Effects

What could go wrong?

Gum contouring is not without risk, however. If you remove too much gum tissue, then the mouth might never heal properly. It can lead to swelling and a need for further treatment to correct the error.

Teeth - Gum Contouring Who Can Do It

Finding a Practitioner

Not all dentists specialise in cosmetic dentistry, so it is important to find a dental practice that does a lot of cosmetic dental work.

Please go to our Find a Clinic section to find a dental clinic specialising in cosmetic dentistry.