Cosmetic Gum Recontouring Fort Lauderdale, FL

If you have a gummy smile, you may be self-conscious about your appearance and reluctant to smile. You may also think there is nothing that can be done to alter this characteristic. Thanks to advanced dental treatments like cosmetic gum recontouring at Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale, excess gum tissue can be removed and gums can be reshaped for a flattering, more aesthetically pleasing smile.

What Is a Laser Gum Lift?

Cosmetic gum recontouring, also known as a laser gum lift, is the use of a sophisticated dental laser to reshape the gum line by removing gum tissue and revealing more tooth enamel. This treatment is minimally invasive and more comfortable and easier than ever before. The gum line can be quickly and precisely edited and only a local anesthetic is needed to undergo the procedure. The results are immediate, dramatic, and permanent.

Causes of a Gummy Smile

There are various potential causes of a gummy smile, including:

• Partially erupted teeth: Sometimes, adult teeth will not erupt properly and fully, so they remain covered partially by gum tissue, making them look short.
• Overgrown jaw: In a condition known as vertical maxillary excess, the upper jaw is overgrown, which causes the gums to bulge out.
• Enlarged gums: Gingival hypertrophy and gingival enlargement are alternative names for gum overgrowth. This is a common feature of gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease characterized by swollen or inflamed gums. In conditions like this, the problem runs deeper than excess gum tissue and the infection will need to be treated before any cosmetic enhancements can be made.
• Lip size: A hypermobile lip is too short and a lip that lifts too high when smiling is hyperactive. In either case, more gum tissue will show, creating a gummy smile.

For most people with a gummy smile, it’s simply a matter of DNA. While you cannot control whether you develop a gummy smile or not, you can certainly alter the gums you have through cosmetic dentistry.

Is Cosmetic Gum Recontouring Right for You?

Thanks to cosmetic gum recontouring, excess gum tissue can be removed without surgery. However, if you are not a good candidate for this procedure, do not despair. There are still options to improve the appearance of your smile.

• If you have a mild gingival display that is mostly caused by a bite problem, shifting the bite into proper position with Invisalign could transform the appearance of a gummy smile permanently and eliminate the need for a laser gum lift.
• If you have a severely protruding jaw that contributes to a gummy smile, orthognathic surgery and orthodontics may be necessary to recontour the jaw so it is the correct size and in the correct place.

Get the Ultimate Smile Makeover

Some patients not only undergo cosmetic gum recontouring, they also opt for porcelain veneers for the ultimate smile makeover. Gummy smiles and short teeth are a typical pair, so revealing more tooth enamel through laser dentistry, then perfecting each tooth in shape, size, color, and length with super-thin veneers results in a flawless, symmetrical smile.

You can get porcelain veneers alone to alter the tooth-to-gum ratio, or you can get veneers and a laser gum lift to alter the proportion of gum tissue to tooth enamel and create a balanced look.

Make Your Gummy Smile Disappear in Fort Lauderdale

For most people, a gummy smile is not a health problem. This feature is simply a quirky characteristic that can be embraced, like a big gap between the front tooth. But if you perceive your gummy smile as a problem and think you would look better with excess gum tissue removed, find out what’s possible for your smile makeover at Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Schedule a consultation with our in-house gum specialist and find out if the removal of excess gum tissue is right for you.