A “gummy” smile refers to the look of a heavy or dominating gumline, sometimes causing the teeth to look short and disproportionate when compared to the gums. A balanced, symmetrical gumline can play a key part in achieving aesthetic harmony in your dentition; luckily, modern gum recontouring methods have made it possible to reshape the gums without cutting, incisions, or even making physical contact with the gumline.
If you feel the appearance of large gums is distracting from your smile as a whole, Dr Clarence Tam, our cosmetic dentist, and the rest of our dental team can perform laser gum recontouring to refine your gumline, increase your tooth-show, and help you achieve more balance in your smile. During treatment, highly focused light energy is designed to target excess gum tissue based on a proportion analysis conducted by our sophisticated Digital Smile Design software. The gumline is then trimmed with laser precision, typically lengthening the visible portion of your tooth body. Although some swelling and/or mild discomfort should be expected after treatment, this technique does not usually necessitate a recovery period or significant downtime. Gum reshaping with laser dentistry can be an integral part of enhancing your smile as a stand-alone treatment or as part of an entire smile makeover. If you have any questions about whether you could possibly benefit from laser gum recontouring, or if you would like to schedule a consultation to discuss other ways you can improve your smile, please don’t hesitate to contact Tam Dental Group today.