For patients who have excessive gum tissue, their teeth can appear too short or stubby. What you may not know is that beneath that excessive or 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 can often be performed with our new soft tissue laser, the iLASE. We’ll talk with you about your options and what to expect during the procedure, then discuss the outcome you want to achieve. The day of your procedure, we’ll mark your gum tissue, make sure that you’re comfortable with anesthesia or sedation, and then precisely remove the excess gum tissue. After a brief recovery, your new smile will look bold, beautiful, better than you thought possible!
For patients who also have excessive bone beneath their gummy smile, we may opt for a procedure called Osseous Crown Lengthening. This can also be performed with the help of our iLASE, and requires additional contouring of the underlying boney support beneath the re-contoured gums to get just the right proportions for your new look.
Laser Gum Lifts may be performed before new porcelain crowns, veneers, or Lumineers are made. Or, if the basic shape of your gums is OK but you have a little asymmetry from one tooth to another, the iLASE lets Dr. Fisher and Dr. Zitterich sculpt your gums with pin-point accuracy. If you don’t like the way your smile looks and think you show too much gum or would benefit from subtle gum sculpting, ask Dr. Fisher and Dr. Zitterich if the iLase can help you.
Please see examples of Gum Lifts & Sculpting with our actual patients in our Laser Sculpting and Gum Lift Gallery.