Gummy Smile Consultation
A gummy smile is a combination of teeth, gums, mouth and lips coming together to show more gum than teeth when you smile. You may feel that you have a gummy smile or are not sure if you have one so a quick consultation with the dentist should give you a better answer. For some people, their adult set of teeth did not come through their gums far enough resulting in too much gum when they smile. For others, their teeth have worn down over time and the result is a smaller tooth and more gum when they smile. Some people even suffer from a hypermobile lip which involves the lip moving more than the average number of millimeters when smiling and exposing more gum than tooth. No matter how long you have not been happy with your smile, you can talk about changing it with the help of your dentist. And depending on the cause of your gummy smile, there are a number of options to explore with your dentist that can include just one or a combination of laser dentistry, gum contouring, crown lengthening, veneers, adult orthodontics and even jaw replacement surgery.
Gum Contouring Treatment
Gum contouring is a procedure performed by your dentist to either treat gummy smile or gum recession. The gummy smile treatment involves cutting away excess gum to expose more of the crown of tooth when you smile. The gum recession treatment involves an attempt to restore gum where it has worn away and too much of your tooth is exposed. Ultimately, gum contouring helps change the current shape of your gums, whether that includes more or less gum than you currently have.
Benefits Of Gum Contouring
Choosing to have gum contouring for aesthetic reasons is highly personal and you can discuss your ideas and desired results with the dentist to determine if going through a procedure or more than one procedure will get you the results you are looking to achieve. Gum contouring does not have to be a cosmetic procedure only. If you are suffering from gum recession due to gum disease or genetics, you may find you have more of the crown of your tooth exposed than you once did. In order to best protect the tooth and to ensure it is not susceptible to infection and decay, more gum tissue will help keep your tooth healthier for a longer time. In this instance, gum contouring could help save your tooth and your overall health.
Gum contouring can be used by dentists in conjunction with other dental treatments to help you feel as confident as possible with your smile. The dentist can use a whitening treatment to help your new larger teeth and smaller gums show off your bright smile to the world. The dentist can apply an onlay, crown, veneer or other techniques to not only reduce the size of your gum but increase the size of your tooth. At the same time, the dentist can help you adjust the size, color and shape of your tooth to maximize symmetry of your new smile.
Gum Contouring Procedure
Once you and the dentist in wilmington have determined that gum contouring is the best treatment plan for you, you’re your oral health, you and the dentist can discuss your goal for the procedure and how best to achieve it. Some dentists used the term gum shaping but gum shaping and gum contouring are the same procedure. The dentist may choose to use a scalpel or a laser, but either way they will be cutting tissue. If you are concerned about being in pain or uncomfortable, you can talk to the dentist before the procedure about anesthesia to help you stay as comfortable as possible while the dentist is working on your gums.
Depending on the kinds of tools the dentist uses, your recovery time will fluctuate. If the dentist uses a scalpel, the procedure will require sutures and may stay inflamed longer. If the dentist uses a laser, then the gums will not be cut nor will they need sutures decreasing inflammation and speeding up your recovery.
Caring for Gum Contouring
It is not uncommon to experience some irritation or residual numbness after various procedures. While your mouth is more sensitive, take care to avoid hot or cold beverages. Also, minimize eating sticky foods to limit your discomfort.
Cost of Gum Contouring
Costs for each procedure vary depending on how long the procedure takes, what materials the procedure requires, how many visits the procedure requires, and the amount of work the dentist is required to do. It may surprise you to know, but dental insurance may cover some of the costs for these as well as elective procedures as they lead to improved overall dental health and long term benefits. If you do not have dental insurance coverage or you have any questions about payment options for your treatment plan, you are more than welcome to talk to our staff at any time. Your budget’s health is just as important as your mouth’s health.
High Quality Care You Can Trust
At Edgerton & Glenn Cosmetic and General Dentistry. We strive to build relationships with our patients. You are more than just teeth, you are our patient and friend and we want to help you to achieve and maintain oral health as best we can. We look forward to meeting you and talking about what is best for you and your mouth. Please contact us to set up a Gummy Smiles or Gum Contouring appointment at (910) 256-9230.
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