Do you have excess gum tissue showing in your smile?
Your smile is such an important feature, and one you should strive to keep in the best possible condition. Issues with tooth stains, damage, poor alignment or tooth development can affect your smile. With that said, some patients face problems with their smile because of their gums, not their teeth.
Does your upper lip cover all of your gums? It does for most people. When most people consider the notion of enhancing their smiles, braces typically come to mind first and foremost. However, for some folks, crooked or misshapen teeth have nothing to do with hindering their smile’s full potential. Approximately seven percent of men and 14 percent of women suffer from what doctors refer to as “excessive gingival display,” more commonly called a “gummy smile.” Can an excessively gummy smile be corrected or helped?
Why Is My Smile Mostly Gums?
A smile is one of the first things we notice about each other, making it a vital part of our overall appearance. But what happens when a smile begins to change over the years, especially when the smile becomes more gum tissue than teeth? This may seem like an embarrassing problem, but many people struggle with “gummy” smiles.
Why your smile appears gummy and your teeth seem short. Common causes include:
Gums not receding naturally once permanent teeth begin to emerge; teeth appear too short. Gummy smiles are more common among females [sorry ladies!]. This is when gum recontouring, or a gum lift, may be recommended. Dr. Fondriest designs gum lifts to correct overgrown gum tissue and reveal more natural tooth enamel. He often incorporates gum lifts along with crown lengthening to achieve much more cosmetically appealing smiles for his patients.
Results of bruxism, the condition of grinding, clenching, or clicking of teeth, whether asleep or awake. Wearing down your teeth can make teeth smaller. It may also cause the normal gum line to appear crooked. For worn teeth, cosmetic porcelain veneers may be the best solution. It’s also important, however, to stop bruxism from continuing to cause damage. Dr. Fondriest may recommend an oral appliance for you to wear at night, and he’ll assess your jaw joints to determine whether you suffer from TMJ disorder.
Unusually high lip line, exposing too much of the gums when smiling. Gum recontouring, porcelain veneers, or a dose of Botox in the upper lip muscle may correct this situation.
A New Way to Improve Your Smile
Raising your gum can help address a number of esthetic concerns caused by excess gum tissue exposed. A gum lift can be performed to address many cosmetic problems concerning your periodontal tissue. Your dentist provides help by carefully removing excess gum tissue. This can make your smile appear more even, and make your teeth appear less short.
This procedure can have an amazing effect on your appearance on it’s own. If you add cosmetic dentistry you can see impressive changes.
The periodontist will sculpt away portions of the tissue that are excessive. While some cosmetic dentists may perform the gum lift themselves, most will work closely with a gum specialist called a periodontist. Your cosmetic dentist and gum specialist will plan the design of your new and improved smile, based on your specific concerns. That way the resulting work will reflect your ideal smile.
You may want to speak to your dentist about why you’re experiencing a “gummy” smile in the first place. It could be due to gum disease, or another oral health threat, that needs to be addressed separately, through restorative treatment, prior to any cosmetic procedures.
Identifying Issues That Hurt Your Appearance
Recognizing what kind of issues might be affecting your smile will allow you to make smart choices concerning the appropriate cosmetic dental treatment or treatments. For instance, your dentist can spot it when an excess amount of gum tissue is exposed, which would suggest that a gum lift would be the most appropriate action.
Patients are sometimes surprised by the feedback they receive from their dentist when it comes to cosmetic work. You may go in thinking you need a professional teeth bleaching to deal with discoloration, but find that internal tooth issues make dental bonding, or porcelain veneers, more effective treatment solutions.
How Raising the excess gum tissue to improve your smile
Raising your gingival gum line is generally performed by a periodontist. A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in treating periodontal disease, oral inflammation, and other problems with gum tissue. During the gum surgery procedure, the dentist will carefully surgically remove excess gum tissue. It is done in the dental office with a simple local anesthetic.
This removal is highly planned. The surgeon will artfully sculpt the gingival tissues to yield a more even gum line. This surgery is called a gum lift or crown lengthening. In extreme cases, the gum tissues are raised significantly. The tooth roots become exposed. typically, veneers are placed in this circumstance.
A gum lift is a very useful and easy procedure to improve a gummy smile. Thanks to modern technology, gum contouring is less invasive and requires less recovery time than in previous years.
Gum Health Is Essential to a Pretty Smile
If the cause for your excess gum tissue is gum disease, you may require ultrasonic scaling before a gum lift can successfully be performed. Healthy gums are crucial to prevent the gum tissue from swelling again after cosmetic treatment. Poor oral hygiene will need to be improved. Better oral care will help the bleeding gums and gingival hyperplasia.
Gum disease is inflammation of the gums or infection and is most often caused by plaque buildup. This is why preventive cleanings are so important to maintaining healthy soft tissues.
Making Plans To Make Big Changes To Your Smile
Our commitment to artistic smile design means taking our expertise in cosmetic and restorative dentistry and helping you enjoy remarkable improvements to how you look. If you want a great smile, we can help you make that goal to become a reality! Addressing excess gum tissue will make your new teeth look so much nicer.
Learn more about how to treat excess gum tissue
Patients who want to do something about cosmetic dental concerns can be treated by expert cosmetic care. Our practice proudly works with individuals in and around the Lake Forest area who want to showcase their best smile. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at 847-234-0517. We also proudly serve residents of Chicago and all surrounding communities in the Chicago Metro area.