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Cosmetic Gum Surgery

What is cosmetic gum surgery?
Your gum tissue is like a frame that provides form and shape to the top of your tooth. A less than attractive smile results when the integrity of the gum is compromised or the actual gum between your teeth becomes weak. Usually due to poor hygiene(gum disease), you actually begin to lose gum tissue. Cosmetic dentistry provides many cosmetic solutions such as composite resin bonding, crowns, and veneers to create a great smile. These solutions are Ususally part of an overall strategy which may involve cosmetic gum surgery. Used to correct a "gummy smile" ( a significant portion of your gum is exposed when you smile), cosmetic gum surgery is the procedure of lengthening your teeth from the neck of the tooth upwards. Your teeth then appear to be longer and much less gum is seen when you smile.

The "Long in the touch" smile - cosmetic gum surgery, or periodontal plastic surgery, can correct almost any deformity or gingival problems preventing you from a beautiful smile. As we age, our gums may shrink and recede which makes our teeth look longer. While this is often age-related, it can also occur due to a bad bite. A cosmetic dentist or a perodontist can correct this to such an extent, that you'll have a very youthful appearing smile.

The "Gummy smile" - This is a problem where your teeth appear to be too short. Gum sculpting is often the solution. To solve this, a dentist uses a laser to remove the exess tissue of your gummy smile, which then exposes more of your tooth.

Who is a candidate of cosmetic gum surgery?
You should consult your dentist about cosmetic gum surgery if you believe you have "Gummy Smile" (small crown length), gum recession "long teeth", an uneven gum line due to "short teeth", gum loss or gums which appear to be collapsing (from missig teeth), dark or black areas between bridges, implants, crowns or teeth, or tooth sensitivity from receding gums.

Cosmetic Gum Surgery Procedures
There are two primary procedures for cosmetic gum surgery, depending on your current smile.

"Gummy Smile" (Excessive Gingival Display)
A "Gummy Smile" can occur due to wear of teeth from teeth grinding, a short upper lip, or having a longer than usual upper jawbone. This smile is when your teeth appear too small and your gums appear too large.

"Long Tooth smile" (Gum Recession)
As your gums recede, your teeth appear longer than normal. While "long teeth" may result in an unattractive smile, you should also be concerned with root sensivity and possible tooh loss.

Recent advances in techniques and materials have resulted in significant improvements in both comfort, predictability and esthetics.

To Correct a "Gummy Smile"
Cosmetic gum surgery can be done to reduce the excess gum and bone. The removal of these tissues allows for normal sized teeth and for a normal gum line appearance by using an instrument, ussually a laser, to remove the undesirablel tissue. Typically your cosmetic dentist will prescribe an antibacteral mouth rinse to be used twice a day for a two-week period following your surgery.

Advantages and Dis advantages of Cosmetic Gum Surgery

Advantages:

Healing is usually quick and your more youthful and beautiful smile is obvious early on. It has been reported that cosmetic gum surgery additionally improves the health of your gums. The procedure to correct receding gums may even reduce your tooth sensitivity to cold or hot foods or beverages while protecting your roots from decay and lessening further gum shrinkage.

Disadvantages:
Cosmetic gum surgery is ofcourse, surgery. Surgery is often performed in segments under a local anesthetic- unless your entire mouth is undergoing this procedure at once, then a general anesthesia is typically used.