Gum Contouring Explained
Your smile can impact your self-confidence, and having an uneven gum line can cause patients to feel unhappy with their smile. Gum contouring is a procedure that can be used to correct gum tissue that comes too far down onto your teeth or gums that are too high, which can expose the roots of your teeth to harmful bacteria.
Gum Contouring For Aesthetic Improvement
When you have gum tissue that comes too far down onto your teeth, your teeth can appear shorter than they are. If only some teeth are affected, your gums will have an uneven appearance. There's no medical reason to have gum contouring carried out when your gum tissue covers some of your teeth so in this situation gum contouring is a cosmetic procedure.
Your dentist will use a laser to trim away gum tissue that's covering your teeth. They will create a uniform gum line, which will improve your smile. The procedure is carried out using a local anaesthetic, and the laser seals the blood vessels in your gum tissue so there's no bleeding. Your mouth may feel tender for a few days after your gum tissue has been trimmed, so eat a soft diet and avoid foods that may irritate your gums, such as seeds.
Gum Contouring For Dental Health
If your gums are too high or they are receding as a result of gum disease, bruxism or temporomandibular joint dysfunction, gum contouring can be used to cover tooth roots and seal pockets of air between the teeth and gum tissue. If gum contouring is not undertaken, bacteria can infect the soft tooth pulp and roots of your teeth, and this can cause abscesses and dental decay over time.
Your dentist will create an even gum line using a procedure known as pocket reduction. This involves closing gaps by pulling the gum tissue down and securing it with sutures. If the gum tissue has receded too far for pocket reduction, your dentist can reshape your gum line using tissue grafts from the roof of your mouth. This will keep bacteria away from the roots of your teeth and improve the appearance of your gums. You may experience mild mouth pain after pocket reduction or tissue grafting, and dentists may recommend you take painkillers for a few days and stick to soft foods.
If you'd like to find out more about gum contouring, book a consultation with your dentist. They will assess the health of your gums and discuss the suitability of gum contouring with you.
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