Gum Contouring Enhances the Appearance of Small Teeth
Many people agree that the smile is a person’s most memorable feature. When cosmetic imperfections make someone reluctant to share their smile with others, it can really affect the impression they leave. A gummy smile is a common aesthetic flaw that leads to self-consciousness. This is a smile with more prominent gum tissue than teeth.
Dr. Bruce Widerman offers gum contouring for small teeth at his practice serving people in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Doylestown, PA. Gum contouring removes excess gum tissue to reveal more tooth structure. This treatment can give you a smile that you are proud to share with others.
Why Gummy Smiles Are a Problem
Small teeth are easily concealed beneath the gum line or the lips, so that when a person smiles, people see very little tooth structure. This can give the impression of a weak or unhealthy smile, which is hardly the ideal.
How Does Gum Contouring Help?
Gum contouring treatment removes tissue from the upper and/or lower gum line, but many people wonder how this procedure helps with small teeth.
The tooth structure that is visible when a person smiles is only a portion of the actual tooth. More tooth structure lies beneath the gum line. So when people complain of small teeth, the real problem isn’t the size of the tooth, it is excess gum tissue that extends further down the tooth than it should.
Gum Contouring with Lasers
In the past, gum contouring involved the use of scalpels, sutures, and other traditional surgical instruments. Today, many dentists and dental health specialists use soft tissue lasers to reshape the gums.
Laser gum contouring lifts the upper gum line (or lowers the lower gum line) to reveal more tooth structure and create a more proportional balance between the teeth and the gums. The result is a straighter, more even gum line and larger looking teeth.
Laser Gum Contouring Treatment
Removing gum tissue may sound like it would be a long, painful process, but it is actually quick and painless. Dr. Wilderman performs gum contouring treatment with a state-of-the-art diode laser. The laser improves Dr. Wilderman’s precision and control while reducing bleeding and minimizing pain. We also start treatment with the application of a local anesthetic to further enhance comfort.
Once the treatment site is numb, Dr. Wilderman begins removing gum tissue. He always starts conservatively, removing only the smallest amount of tissue necessary. Even with minimal gum removal, Dr. Wilderman can significantly enhance the size of the teeth and provide patients with dramatic results.
When the desired amount of tissue has been removed, treatment is complete. The gum tissue heals naturally, so there is no need for any sutures.
Recovery from Laser Gum Contouring
The laser that is used for gum contouring cauterizes the blood vessels as it cuts away at gum tissue. That means that blood loss is minimal and the risk of infection is low. The diode laser also greatly reduces the patient’s recovery time.
Following gum treatment, patients may experience mild discomfort and moderate inflammation around the treatment site. These side effects should be short-lived. Most patients have completely recovered from laser gum contouring within just a few days of their procedure.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to enjoy a more prominent and proportionate smile, laser gum contouring may be right for you. To learn more about the benefits of this cosmetic dentistry treatment, contact our dental practice online or call (215) 340-1199 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bruce Wilderman.
