What is Cosmetic Gum Surgery?
When a person smiles and the appearance of very long teeth or very short teeth is present, this is a good indication that the person suffers from gum disease or recession, which occurs with aging or poor hygiene.
Receding gums can also cause tooth hypersensitivity and put a person at risk for losing their teeth altogether. With the help of your cosmetic gum surgery or gum recountoring , the periodontist can help replace the lost or excessive gum tissue. If this problem is left untreated then progressive gingival (gum) irritation and/or bone loss, root surface sensitivity, or root caries can occur.
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.
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 a periodontal surgery is required. This procedure is called crown lengthening.