Correcting Your Gummy Smile

houston gum contouring

When you have a gummy smile, this means you have too much gingival tissue on display when you smile. To correct this and boost smile beauty, then you may need to talk to our team about gum contouring. In today’s blog, your Houston, TX, dentist talks about treating esthetic gum issues.

When You Need Contouring

For some people, there could be too much gum tissue on display when they smile. Sometimes people refer to this as a gummy smile. Without treatment, this could impact how the smile appears. You could feel uncomfortable with how much gingival issue is visible, or this could make your teeth appear smaller than normal or uneven. The only way to improve the beauty of the smile is to address the issue with gum contouring. 

The Treatment Process

Our team will first gently mark the areas of the gums that need to be removed or altered. We then use advanced dental lasers to gently remove the excess tissues and then reshape the gum line to boost esthetics. The procedure takes only one visit and rarely requires the use of anesthesia. The lasers then reduce the risk of bleeding, swelling, and function afterward. You will likely only need to rest for a day, and can return to your normal activities afterward. This is a fast, convenient solution to common esthetic issues, helping you enjoy your best possible smile! A note: we also provide tooth contouring, but this is a very different procedure. We don’t use lasers, and instead gently sand and buff outer structure to correct minor esthetic issues with a tooth’s shape.

Treating Gingivitis and Gum Disease 

If your swelling is due to the presence of gingivitis or gum disease, then again we could use lasers to provide treatment with precision and accuracy. The lasers will allow our team to gently trim away diseased tissues. Healthy tissues then adhere to the teeth and reduce the depth of periodontal pockets. With routine cleanings every three to four months afterward, we will keep a close eye on the smile and manage the disease to prevent worsening symptoms or even adult tooth loss. If you have any questions about how we treat gummy smiles, or if you would like to undergo a contouring procedure yourself, then contact our team today to learn more. 

TALK TO YOUR HOUSTON, TX DENTIST ABOUT IMPROVING SMILES

We would like to help correct esthetic issues with your gums in only one visit. We offer this procedure alone with a host of other cosmetic treatments, helping people in our community enjoy more attractive smiles, often in one visit! To find out more about how we can help, contact your Houston, TX, dentist, Dr. Chan, by calling 713-926-8896.