A warm and beautiful smile is much more than just about even-toned teeth. Your white teeth set off against healthy pink gums also frame the contours of your smile. But do you feel your gums to be more prominent than they should be? Gingival recontouring or “gum contouring” (aka a gum lift) could help.
Suffolk County Gum Contouring
You may have a perfect set of teeth but if your gums show more than they should, your smile may appear less than attractive or out of proportion. Uneven gums may even give you a prematurely aged appearance.
One of the best ways to correct the appearance of your smile is with a gummy smile treatment known as gingival recontouring. By adjusting the contours of your gums, you can help your teeth look more even, symmetrical, and attractive. Recontouring is perfect for uneven gums and “gummy” smiles, creating the perfect frame to accent your teeth.
What is a Gum Lift?
A gummy smile is what you happens when you see an excess of gum tissues when you smile. There are also asymmetric gumlines, where the gum margin is higher on some teeth than others, making your teeth appear shorter or atypically shaped.
Sachem Dental Group offers cosmetic gum lift procedures, also known as gum contouring or a gingivectomy, which reduce the disproportionate amount of gums showing around your teeth. We offer different types of gum lift procedures depending on the nature of your teeth and gum irregularities.
Screening for a Gum Lift
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to gum contouring. At Sachem Dental Group, we strive to offer individualized care to all our patients after conducting stringent patient screenings based on their individual needs and priorities.
During your exam, we discuss your oral history and conduct an extensive evaluation of your teeth and gums. This helps us in deciding the most suitable gummy smile treatment for your situation.
Candidacy for a Gum Lift
Since a gingivectomy is permanent, it needs to be performed accurately, precisely, and by a skilled cosmetic dentist. Usually anyone who has a “gummy” smile and wants to have it corrected is a good candidate.
The underlying causes of excess gum tissues include conditions like:
- Genetics
- Medication, causing gingival overgrowth
- Hormonal changes, such as pregnancy
- Upper jaw overgrowth or a hyperactive upper lip.
- Atypical tooth development, such as teeth that are too small or disproportionately shaped.
At Sachem Dental Group, you may qualify for a gum lift if we’ve reviewed your medical history, including the medications that you may be taking to rule out any risk factors. It’s important that you don’t have any active oral disease, all of your gums and teeth are healthy. If during an initial examination, we find any existing periodontal diseases, it will need to be treated before planning any type of gum recontouring treatment.
It’s also important that you have sufficient tooth height before the gums are reduced. Assessed through an X-Ray, this facet is an important qualifying factor since reducing the gum tissues without adequate tooth height may lead to sensitive or weak teeth.
Since the gum contouring process requires a bit of numbing, you will also need to be able to receive local anesthetic. There should not be any underlying conditions like an allergy or health condition that might contraindicate the administration of a local anesthetic.
Types of Gum Lift Procedures Offered in Long Island
Once we determine if you’re a candidate for gum contouring, our dentists will have a discussion with you about the best procedure for your situation. This consultation takes place in a comfortable setting at our Long Island office, where you can ask any questions and gain clear insights about the procedure or alternative therapies available. Our teams will share the process, fees, and what your treatment will entail.
Once you decide the best course of action for your smile, your procedure will be scheduled at your convenience. Each type of apointment is planned and executed with skill and precision of our highly experienced multi-specialty general dentists.
Depending on your smile goals, treatment typically falls into one of the following categories:
Laser Gum Surgery: Sachem Dental Group is one of the pioneering dental offices to serve the Long Island area with this modern, precise, and minimally-invasive alternative gum recontouring procedure.
We raise and reshape your gums using a special laser technology that minimizes cutting, bleeding, and recovery time. You can see immediate results that continue to improve over the subsequent weeks. You can even get back to your normal routine the same day! Lasers offer little to no recovery time.
Our Long Island dentists are also authorized to provide sedation to help the patients relax safely.
Crown Lengthening: This treatment is typically advised when your tooth is short or broken and requires a restorative crown or bridge. Or if the gums need to be reduced following periodontal therapy. In this, our Suffolk County dentists will adjust the bone and/or gum levels to expose more of the tooth so that a protective restoration can be placed over it.
Alternative Gum Contouring Treatments in Long Island
Maybe gum contouring or gummy smile treatment isn’t exactly what you need. Or perhaps you’re not quite ready to commit to gum recontouring. In that case, our Suffolk County dentists may suggest alternate procedures and options like:
Veneers or crowns: This simple restorative and cosmetic treatment can be used to make teeth longer or wider. Design your smile look the way you want it to be.
Lip or jaw surgery: This alternative option may be recommended in the case of bone misalignment or severe lip protrusion.
Orthodontic treatments: If you have irregular crowding or tooth misalignment, orthodontic appliances such as braces or Invisalign may offer the best results.
Long Island Smile Makeovers
At Sachem Dental Group we strive to build happy smiles through healthy teeth and gums. Something as simple as adjusting the shape of your gums quickly adds to your confidence and overall appearance. Schedule your consultation with one of our Suffolk County dentists today to explore your no-obligation treatment options.