Gum Contouring

What to Expect During Your Appointment

For patients with “gummy” smiles, a line is drawn to mark the new gum line. Once approved, a local anesthetic is applied to the area to ensure patient comfort, and the contouring begins. A dental instrument (typically a scalpel or laser) is used to reshape the gum tissue and trim away any extra tissue overhanging the tooth.

For patients with a “toothy” grin, gum grafting can add gum tissue to reduce the amount of visible tooth. During the procedure, soft tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth or from gum tissue near the tooth and then stitched into the area that needs additional gum tissue.