Cosmetic Dentistry – Gum Contouring

In the search for the ultimate “smile makeover”, through cosmetic dentistry it is still possible to improve a patient’s smile where there is actually nothing wrong with their teeth! In the case of a “gummy smile”, the gums are simply too big or appear too big when the patient smiles.

Where gum tissue overgrows to cover more of the tooth than is desirable, a cosmetic dental technique called gum contouring can be used.

Sometimes the gum tissue overgrows in certain sections of the mouth causing the smile to look lopsided or uneven – in these cases, selective gum contouring is used to “even-up” the smile.

Gum contouring – the procedure:

Gum contouring is a relatively straightforward procedure whereby a local anesthetic is applied to the gums. A laser light is then used to trim away excess gum tissue to lift the gum line to expose more tooth material. Often this is done only to the front teeth that are prominent during the patient’s smile. The gums tend to heal quite quickly as the laser also seals the blood vessels in the gum to minimise any bleeding.

Sometimes it is necessary to employ additional techniques in conjunction with gum contouring, for example it may be necessary to reduce the bone at the front of the tooth root to prevent re-growth of the gum material.
 

Advantages:

• Gum contouring is a relatively modern and accessible technique that can quickly enhance a patient’s smile
• Pain and inconvenience is relatively slight if the technique is performed correctly
• Gum contouring can be quite cost effective with typical process starting from around £150

Disadvantages:

• In a small number of case where a larger quantity of gum tissue has to be removed, there have been reports of extended healing times
• In some cases, bone reduction at the front of the tooth root may be required to prevent re-growth of the gum material.