Gum Recontouring

square-smile
Do you have a “gummy smile” or an uneven gum line? Do you have “long” teeth that you wish could be fixed?

Gum recontouring may be the best solution for your dental problems. This procedure changes the appearance and the shape of the gums to improve your smile. At Washington Smiles, we can:

make your gum line proportionate so you can be proud to smile.
remove excess tissue to fix a “gummy” smile.
add tissue to receded gums.

? Why are gums important to your smile?

One thing that beautiful smiles have in common– correctly proportioned gums. If the gums do not look proportionate, your smile will look “off.” That’s because the shape of the gums affects the shape of the teeth. If you’ve ever noticed someone who has small, short teeth, he or she most likely has a gummy smile. Also, if the gums are receded or pulled back, the teeth can look too long.

Washington Smiles helps patients fix these common problems.

What to expect from the gum recontouring procedure

To fix a gummy smile, one of our dentists will use a special instrument (typically a laser) to trim excess gums and excess bone tissue when necessary. The laser will help to seal the gum tissue, which allows you to heal faster.

This quick and comfortable “sculpting” technique is called a gingivectomy. A gingivectomy will create a more natural, youthful smile.

Our dentists can either take away excess tissue or add tissue when there is too little. First, our dentists will use anesthetics, if necessary, to ensure that you are comfortable.

To fix receding gums, we start the process of removing a small amount of tissue from the roof of your mouth. This tissue will be grafted to your gum line to create proportionate gums.

After the gum recontouring procedure

Your gums may feel a little tender or be swollen for the first week after the procedure. We may recommend an analgesic like Ibuprofen for this. Typically we recommend that you rinse your mouth with salt water (or an antibacterial mouthwash, if necessary).

You should do this one to two times per day for the next two weeks after your appointment in order to prevent infection and to speed up the healing process.