When It’s Time to Think About Gum Contouring

Your teeth don’t have to be blemished for your smile’s appearance to seem less than perfect. If you have a gummy smile, for instance, then the issue lies in the shape and symmetry of your gum tissues, not your teeth. Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry focuses on all aspects of your smile’s appearance, and to address a gummy smile, your dentist might suggest minimally invasive gum contouring. By gently and artistically reshaping your gum line, you can create a more visibly appealing and evenly laid out frame around your smile.

What Causes a Gummy Smile
Like many dental issues, a gummy smile can be caused by a variety of factors, depending on each patient’s unique dental health and experiences. Some of the more common causes may include:

Issues with tooth eruption – When your teeth erupt, they have to push through your gums to do so. If there’s an issue with this process, then one or more teeth may wind up with too much of their bottom portions covered by gum tissues.
Abnormal jawbone shape – Your jawbone forms the bulk of your dental ridge underneath your gums, and therefore, largely dictates the outlay of your gum line. If you have a congenital issue with the shape of your jawbone, or an injury affects its shape, then the result may be a gummy smile.
Fixing Your Smile’s Appearance
In many cases, a gummy smile can be corrected with minimally invasive surgery known as gum contouring. The procedure involves numbing your gums and surrounding tissues, then gently trimming away the excess tissue to sculpt an even gum line.

Ask Your Dentist About Gum Contouring
If your smile’s appearance is affected by uneven gum tissues, then ask your dentist if it’s time to think about cosmetic gum contouring. To schedule a consultation, call Oxnard Dentistry in Oxnard, CA, today at (805) 604-9999. We also proudly serve patients from in and around Camarillo, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Moore Park, and all surrounding communities.