Cosmetic Gum Contouring Fulham

Gum Contouring North End Road Fulham

Gum contouring is a procedure in cosmetic dentistry that involves the dentist reshaping your gum to give you a more beautiful smile. A gum contouring procedure may be as straightforward as removing some tissues on your gum to get rid of a gummy smile. It may also be a complicated procedure which involves your dentist removing your gum tissue and bone to make your smile look perfect.

An excess gingival display or gummy smile is a condition where the pink tissues are excess and show when a person smiles or speaks. About 7% and 14% of men and women respectively have a gummy smile. A gummy smile usually occurs due to short upper front teeth or lip, protruding front teeth, uneven tooth or lip length, or enlarged upper jaw.

If your gum contouring treatment requires removal of only a small amount of gum tissue, your dentist may use a diode laser after administering an anaesthetic. This procedure may last for about 15 – 30 minutes, but a more complicated treatment like gum tissue removal, bone and gum surgery may last for up to 1 – 2 hours. Healing from this procedure, also called crown lengthening may take about 4 – 6 weeks.

At Fulham Dental Centre, we treat gummy smiles with jaw surgery, periodontal surgery, or orthodontic treatment. Sometimes, we combine all these treatments to correct a gummy smile. On average, treatment with orthodontic appliances for gummy smile lasts for about 1 – 3 years, depending on the level of mouth and face growth, the severity of the condition, and patient’s cooperation.

Our appliances for the treatment of gummy smile are custom-made and designed according to your orthodontic issue. You may decide to get a fixed or removable device made with metal, plastic or cement. The apparatus will apply a subtle pressure in your teeth and the supporting bone to gradually move them to their perfect position.

Process of gum contouring

Our cosmetic dentist performs gum contouring treatment during one visit. Most people remain awake for the procedure, but the dentist administers a local anaesthetic to numb your gum area.

The dentist will use a scalpel or laser for soft tissues to remove the excess tissue around your gum area, then resculpt your gum line, which helps expose more teeth. In some cases, the dentist will use sutures to keep the gum tissues in place.

If you have a receding gum, the dentist will add gum tissues removed from another part of your mouth, usually the palate area. You may need surgery to restructure and lengthen the gumline. The duration of this procedure is 1 – 2 hours, depending on the amount of work required.

The procedure is usually pain-free. However, some people may experience numbness and tenderness of the gum. The level of discomfort depends on the amount of gum removed or reshaped.

Our dentist may prescribe a pain relief medication, or you can take an over-the-counter pain killer like ibuprofen if you feel any pain. You may want to avoid aspirin because it causes bleeding.

You can use a cold compress or ice pack on your mouth for about 15 – 20 minutes at once to reduce the swelling and pain after the procedure. Healing may take a few days to a couple of weeks after the procedure.

If your gum feels tender after your gum contouring, you may need to eat only soft foods until the tenderness subsides.  A follow-up appointment is necessary to check for signs of infection and ensure your gum is healing.