Is Gum Contouring Right for You?

Besides being aesthetically pleasing to the eye, having a beautiful smile can help boost self-esteem, raise confidence levels, and benefit a person’s mental health.  But for people with uneven gums, not enough gums, or whose gums cover their teeth too much, having the confidence to smile may be more difficult.  Luckily, modern dental technology has made cosmetic procedures like gum contouring and reshaping possible.

Who Is a Candidate for Gum Contouring?

Whether the result of a medical condition, taking prescription drugs, or genetics, there are several things that can lead to gums being too low or too high on the teeth for which gum contouring can be beneficial.  Gum recession, a condition where gum tissue surrounding a tooth is pulled back to expose the tooth’s root, can lead to gums being too high and make the tooth appear long.  Besides being unsightly, gum recession can lead to tooth decay or loss and could be a sign of periodontal disease.  When gums recede, the teeth are left vulnerable to bacteria accumulation in the pockets between the teeth which contribute to decay.  Gum recession can be caused by a number of factors including age, poor dental care, trauma to the mouth, a poor diet, drug or tobacco use, and oral infections.

Reshaping or contouring can also be useful for patients with “gummy” smiles in that too much of their teeth are covered by gums making the teeth appear smaller than they ideally should.  Primarily done as an elective, cosmetic dental procedure, rather than a medical necessity, gum contouring surgically removes the excess gum tissue to create a more visually pleasing appearance.  Because gum tissue can grow back, some patients may also require reshaping of the jawbone to change how the gums lay against the teeth.  Patients may also require gum contouring as part of other periodontal procedures such as pocket reductions, crown lengthening, or regenerative procedures.

Is Gum Contouring Right for You?

As with any medical or dental procedure a patient may be considering, it is important to discuss the pros and cons of a gum contouring treatment with a qualified dentist.  One consideration is the pain or discomfort that can be experienced from the procedure.  While the procedure itself is not painful, it is performed while a patient is under local anesthetic, patients may experience some pain or discomfort after surgery.  Pain can be managed by using over the counter medicine, such as ibuprofen.  Medicines containing aspirin should be avoided as they thin the blood and can worsen any bleeding.

Patients should also consider that their daily habits, diet, and dental hygiene practices may need to be modified in the days or weeks following surgery.  Because the gum tissue will be sensitive after the contouring procedure, daily flossing and brushing may need to be gentler while the gums heal.  Hard or crunchy foods should also be avoided as they can irritate the gum tissue and cause bleeding.  Recovery time will vary based on how much gum tissue is removed and the method used in the procedure, but patients can expect to need anywhere from a few days to multiple weeks in order to fully heal.

A final consideration is cost.  Depending on the severity of the condition, contouring can cost between $600 to $2,000 per tooth.  Since gum contouring is primarily an elective, cosmetic procedure, some insurance companies will not cover the costs for the treatment.  As such, patients should expect to be out of pocket for a portion, if not all, of the cost for the procedure.

More on Gum Contouring : Is Gum Contouring Painful?