If you feel that you have a gummy smile, it can affect your confidence as well as the appearance of your teeth. The result of too much gum tissue is that it can make your teeth appear smaller. A cosmetically appealing smile usually has between 1 or 2mm of gum tissue visible, but a gummy smile would have more than 2mm of gum tissue on display when a person smiles.
A gummy smile can be caused by having a short upper lip known as a high lip line, teeth which have suffered or been altered by passive eruption, small sized teeth which are relative to the height of the visible gum or vertical overgrowth of the upper jaw bone.
Gum contouring involves reshaping the gum tissues using a laser device to trim away any excess gum which might be overlying the teeth. This quick and fairly painless treatment would traditionally be carried out using a scalpel.
The laser is often used because it’s quicker and limits any blood released because of the incision, while also allowing the gum tissue to heal more quickly and speed up recovery time. Occasionally bone may need to be reduced at the front of the tooth root to prevent the gum tissue from re-growing. By using crowns and veneers alongside this treatment you can get rid of your gummy smile for good.
At the Parrock Dental and Implant Centre, our Principal Dentist Dr Rik Trivedi has a special interest in cosmetic dentistry including gum contouring. He can assess your smile and inform you if gum reshaping is a viable solution for you.
As a member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and as a graduate from the Royal College of Surgeons, you can feel assured that his expertise means you’ll be treated with the best patient care and attention. Dr Trivedi can also recommend different options such as orthodontics or orthognathic jaw surgery if you have a severe case of a gummy smile.
If you want to see a cosmetic dentist Kent, please give us a call on 01474 537 191 to book an appointment. Our opening hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 8pm, Friday from 9am to 3pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm.