Gum Contouring – A New Approach to A Beautiful Smile

The gums are a critical component of a patient’s smile. In addition to influencing a patient’s health, the gums can also enhance or detract from the overall aesthetics of a smile. For patients unsatisfied with how their smile looks, innovative gum contouring treatments have provided patients with a versatile, minimally invasive treatment capable of transforming their smiles.

What is Gum Contouring?
Simply put, gum contouring or re-shaping is the use of a specialized soft-tissue dental laser to reshape and realign the position of the gums in relation to the teeth. Given the versatility of the treatment, there are a number of conditions where gum contouring may be recommended. At our San Jose dental practice, we recommend gum contouring to correct gummy smiles.

The Innovation behind Gum Contouring
Part of the benefit of this treatment comes from the tools used to reshape the gums. Unlike traditional surgical tools, soft tissue diode lasers use an extremely narrow beam of light energy to remove extra tissue from the surgical site. As the instrument cauterizes the tissue during the treatment, there is limited post-procedural bleeding, reducing discomfort during the recovery phase. Additionally, by encouraging coagulation in-treatment, soft tissue lasers lower the risk of bacteria entering the point of incision, reducing the likelihood of post-treatment infection.

In recent years, soft tissue lasers have been used as part of a periodontal treatment therapy. During this procedure, the lasers eliminate bacteria from within the periodontal pockets while sterilizes the tissue. Similar to the re-contouring procedure, the coagulation that is stimulated by the laser helps to accelerate healing while also encouraging reattachment of the gums to the tooth. As a result, soft tissue lasers are quickly becoming the preferred treatment method for efficiently treating the gums.

Who is a Candidate for Gum Contouring?
As mentioned, this cosmetic treatment is often recommended for patients unsatisfied with an abundancy of gum tissue, creating the appearance of a gummy smile. Gum reshaping may also be recommended as a regenerative procedure for patients suffering from gum recession as a result of periodontal disease.

At Willow Glen Dentistry, our San Jose dentist Dr. John Pisacane works with patients to identify points of improvement in their smile and to develop comprehensive solutions for helping individuals achieve their idea smile. For patients seeking extensive gingival treatments, our dentist collaborates closely with area periodontists to ensure consistency in treatment and post-treatment care. For more information about gum contouring in San Jose, please contact the Willow Glen dental team today.