Gum Contouring and Teeth Reshaping

Gingival sculpting, also known as gingival contouring, is the process of reshaping the gum (gingival) tissue around your teeth. A cosmetic dental treatment that can help reinvent your smile and improve your oral health, gingival sculpting involves a minimally invasive laser procedure to remove and re-sculpt uneven or excessive gingival tissue. Typically, however, soft tissue sculpting also requires bone recontouring that cannot be accomplished with a laser alone. The result is healthy and natural-looking gums for a vital, young-looking and attractive smile that adds to your confidence and appeal.

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Gingival sculpting procedures can be performed for cosmetic reasons, as well as for oral health reasons such as poor dental hygiene. The latter can result in the formation of deep gum pockets due to improper tooth brushing and the accumulation of calculus and plaque. Common gingival esthetic problems that can be corrected with gingival sculpting include gummy smile (excessive gingival display), uneven (asymmetrical) gingival contours, the loss of papillae (small amounts of gum tissue between your teeth) and exposed root surfaces.

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Gingival sculpting also can help address esthetic concerns of teeth that appear "too small" or are unusually shaped. This may result when the surrounding gum tissue has grown down and over a large portion of the teeth, creating the illusion of small or crooked/oddly angled teeth. The gum contouring process removes and re-shapes the extra gum tissue to lift the gum line and reveal more teeth and/or even out the gum line for enhanced symmetry. This procedure removes extra gum tissue without leaving a deficit and only exposes the part of the tooth that is normally visible.