If your gums rest too low or too high on your teeth and you are unhappy with your smile, you may be a candidate for gum contouring surgery. Also called gum reshaping or tissue sculpting, this cosmetic dental procedure can even out an uneven gum line and give you a smile you can be proud of.

Gum Contouring Surgery: Is It Necessary?

Gum contouring alone is considered a cosmetic procedure. Most of the time it is not medically necessary. Most people have their gums reshaped to improve the appearance of their smile. However, some people undergo gum contouring surgery as part of other necessary periodontal procedures, such as crown lengthening, pocket reduction, and regenerative procedures.

Gum contouring procedures not considered cosmetic include adding gum tissue when recession has occurred and trimming overgrown tissue that has covered part of the tooth crown.

Gum Contouring: What to Expect

Gum contouring surgery is performed in the dentist’s office. Currently, dentists use scalpels, lasers, and radiosurgery to perform the gum contouring procedure. Ask your dentist which technique would be the most suitable for your situation.

Before surgery, your doctor should go over what they will be doing during the procedure. Often, dentists will use a pen and draw a line to mark the new gum line. That way, you can see exactly how much gum will be removed or how the gum line will be reshaped.

A local anesthetic may be applied to numb the area. Sometimes, bone at the front of the tooth’s root must also be removed during gum contouring to get the best long-term results.