What is Gum Reshaping and How Can It Help Me?
Gum reshaping or gum contouring is a procedure used to address cosmetic concerns with your gums such as low or uneven gums, as well as medical concerns such as receding gums due to periodontal disease. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your gums, read on to learn more about this procedure and see how gum reshaping can help you.
How Does Gum Reshaping Work?
As its name suggests, gum reshaping is a method for reshaping or sculpting your gum line. The process varies depending on your specific gum issues. If you have receding gums, gum reshaping involves grafting tissue from another part of your mouth and suturing it onto your gums. If you have low gums (also known as a “gummy” smile), the procedure would entail removing the excess gum tissue with a laser or scalpel. If you have an uneven gum line, we would either add or remove gum tissue in places to even out the gum line. In all three cases, we might also perform additional contouring to achieve the desired gum line appearance.
Gum reshaping is a quick procedure that is usually completed in just one visit to our office. The whole procedure typically takes about one to two hours. We administer a local anesthetic to your gums so you should not feel any discomfort during the procedure, and most patients fully recover within a few days to a week.
Who is a Good Candidate for Gum Reshaping?
Gum reshaping can be performed for both cosmetic and medical reasons. If you are self-conscious about the appearance of your smile due to uneven, low, or high gums, gum reshaping could be right for you. Medically, gum reshaping can help if you have gum disease. That is because gum disease causes your gums to recede, which creates pockets for bacteria and plaque to accumulate, makes your teeth more sensitive, increases your chance of tooth decay, and causes your teeth to loosen and fall out. Gum reshaping eliminates harmful gum pockets and restores your gums, which protects your teeth and prevents gum disease from getting worse. If you want to improve your self-confidence or boost your oral health with gum reshaping, contact our office today.
