Crown Lengthening St. Louis, MO

Also known as: Gingivectomy: Cosmetic Gum Lift, Gummy Smile

For patients who have excessive gum tissue, teeth can appear stubby. What you may not know is that beneath that overgrown soft tissue, your teeth are just waiting to be revealed! If you have a gummy smile, we may recommend a gum lift, otherwise known as a gingivectomy.

This simple cosmetic procedure is performed by soft tissue laser. We will talk with you about your options and what to expect during the procedure, and then discuss the outcome you want to achieve. The day of your procedure, we will mark your gum tissue, make sure that you are comfortable with anesthesia or sedation dentistry, and then gently sculpt the excess soft tissue. After a brief recovery, your new smile will look bold, beautiful, and better than you thought possible!

Causes of a Gummy Smile

• Even though teeth may be the proper length, they can appear small because they are covered by excessive gum tissue. This can result in a stubby look due to the abnormal eruption of the teeth.
• The muscle that controls movement in your upper lip may be hyperactive, resulting in the lip rising higher up than normal. When this happens more of your gums are exposed when you smile.
• If you have abnormal upper jaw bone development you can give off the appearance of a gummy smile.

Most dentists and people would agree that the optimal smile should reveal the least amount of gum tissue as possible. Gum tissue that is visible in the esthetic portion of your mouth (the teeth that show when you smile) should have balanced and even contours that are in harmony with the upper lip. This is often the reason that people with a gummy smile choose to get a gingivectomy. Getting an cosmetic gum lift offers many benefits such as increased comfort and confidence when smiling, eating and speaking, as well as improved periodontal (gum tissue) health.

For more information on the cosmetic gum lift procedure at City Smiles feel free to give us a call or contact us for more details.