"There are situations where a patient has a very gummy smile," says Dr. Lawrence Addleson who practices general restorative and cosmetic dentistry, with an emphasis on aesthetics. He has been practicing dentistry for 36 years and has been practicing cosmetic dentistry for 29 years. "Their teeth look small, due to the size of their gums. There are situations that are caused by different things, so by raising gum tissue or doing a "gum lift," you are removing or recountoring the gums. Sometimes you need to bring tissue down if the gum has receded."
Gum surgery involves replacing gum tissue that is missing or receding. Recession exposes the sensitive root surface, which can make it difficult to enjoy hot or cold foods and drinks. Also, receding gums are much more prone to plaque accumulation and tooth caries. A gum specialist, known as a periodontist usually performs the procedure by removing tissue from another part of the mouth. Anesthesia usually is applied to the area that will be worked on and treated. Once the mouth is ready for surgery, a piece of gum tissue from the palate is placed on the area that is receded. In rare cases, if the gum recedes too much then teeth can become loose due to loss of supporting bone and gum tissue.
According to the website Beauty Surg.com, gum contouring is used when a person has a "gummy" smile, which means removing some of the gum tissue to eliminate the problem.
A gummy smile can occur from a short upper lip, excessive wear of the teeth due to grinding, a long upper jawbone, or altered passive eruption. If just a small amount of gum tissue needs to be removed then a laser treatment can be used to remove it. For larger areas of gum that needs to be removed, then gum and bun surgery is required. This procedure is called crown lengthening and should last one to two hours.
According to Dental Find.com, the cost of both procedures depends greatly on how much of the mouth is undergoing a procedure as well as what kind of corrective gum surgery is used, and if there are any other surgeries involved. Discuss these options with your dentist to decide which procedure is right for your specific need. If the dentist cannot due the procedure, he should recommend you to a periodontal surgeon. The surgeon should determine if the treatment is necessary if the tissues surrounding the teeth are unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment.
