When most people think of cosmetic dentistry, they think of whitening, straightening, or otherwise changing their actual teeth. Often people overlooking the visual importance of their gums; your gumline frames your entire smile. Some patients have uneven gumlines or gums that overgrow onto the face of their teeth. This can be the result of medical reasons or genetics, but at CITIDental High Street, we can use a procedure called gum contouring to give you a well balanced, beautiful smile.

Gum contouring or crown lengthening is a simple procedure we use to reshape your gumline. This treatment is ideal for patients who have what we call a “gummy smile”. We gently remove excess tissue that covers up your pearly whites and create a natural looking, even gumline.

Most people have this procedure because they’d like to improve the look of their smiles, but there are other reasons for having it done. Here are a few reasons you might benefit from this procedure, and what you should expect on the big day:

Why You Might Need Gum Contouring

  • Genetics: Most often, gummy smiles are inherited from your parents. It occurs naturally and is not generally a health problem, but people often prefer to have the procedure to build confidence in their smile.
  • Prescription Drugs: Those medicines might be excellent for your body, but they might be wreaking havoc on your gums. If you take certain prescription medications, it could cause your gums to overgrow or recede unevenly.
  • Previous Gum Grafting: If you have ever had gum grafting due to some missing gum tissue, you might just be happy not to have exposed dental roots. Unfortunately, if that gum line isn’t trimmed, it might make your teeth look worse than before.
  • Gum Disease: Periodontal disease is a very common problem that can cause serious health issues. Often if we can remove the infected gum tissue we can stop it’s progress and start fresh. Crown lengthening is one way we can do that. By removing infected gum tissue, you might be able to keep the surrounding gums healthy.
  • Rebuilding broken teeth: Sometimes teeth become so worn down by decay or injury that it becomes difficult to access them to place a crown. This is another situation where gum contouring can be useful. By pulling back the gum tissue we can expose tooth roots and provide a natural looking prosthetic.

What To Expect During Gum Contouring

Gum contouring is a very simple procedure and our experienced dentists have performed it many times before. If you have ever had a cavity filled, then you actually might be familiar with a lot of the preparation work your dentist will use during gum contouring. After marking the areas of your gums to be reshaped, your dentist will inject a local anesthetic. After you are good and numb, the dentist will carefully remove sections of your gums with a laser or a scalpel. Recovering from gum contouring is minimal. In addition to staying away from hard foods for a few days, your dentist might recommend taking a mild pain killer, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Come is For A Consultation

If you’ve been wanting to change the look of your smile and would like to discuss gum contouring, welcome to CITIDental High Street. We’ll be happy to sit down and discuss what you’d like to see changed and talk about all your treatment options. Contact us to schedule an appointment. We’re conveniently located in Boston’s financial district just a short walk from South Station.

Why Choose CITIDental High Street

At CITIDental High Street, we are dedicated to excellence in comprehensive oral health and dental care services. Our goal is to meet all your needs with the talents and skills of different specialties in one office – that is what comprehensive means. We offer a complete range of cosmetic services, preventive care, and restorative care right in the heart of the financial district. Contact us today for an appointment.

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