If you have large gums that make your teeth appear too short, gum recontouring can reshape the gum line to lengthen teeth and make your smile more attractive. After using a local anesthetic to numb the area, we can sculpt excessive and uneven gums with our CO2 laser to reveal your true smile. Because we use laser dentistry for this procedure, the wound seals immediately so that healing can begin right away. The procedure, called a gingivectomy, is relatively painless and can make your smile appear younger, healthier, and more balanced.
Lip Repositioning
When the soft tissue that connects the upper lip to the gums prevents proper lip movement and/or exposes a disproportionate amount of gum tissue above the top teeth, a procedure called lip repositioning can be performed to improve the appearance of the smile. In these instances our cosmetic dentist, Ann Haggard, DDS, uses the dental laser to release the problematic connective tissue, which in turn lowers the position of the upper lip. The tissue is removed carefully and uniformly to create an aesthetically pleasing outcome and maintain balanced muscular movements/facial expressions. The goal of lip repositioning is to showcase the teeth rather than excessive gum tissue, for a more beautiful smile.
Frenectomies
A frenulum is a piece of connective tissue attached to the inside of the lip, under the tongue or inside the cheek, which prevents structures in the mouth from moving too far. However, if the frenulum is too short, it can severely limit the movement of other tissues that need to move freely in the mouth. This can cause problems with speaking, eating, and drinking properly, and interfere with tooth and gum development. During a frenectomy, your dentist will use the CO2 laser to remove a particularly restrictive frenulum. If a strong frenulum is attached close to the gum line, it could contribute to sensitivity in the tooth as well as receding gums and loss of the tooth’s support structure. In order to maintain the strength of the gum and tooth structure and decrease recession of the gums, we may perform a frenectomy in this situation as well. Because our CO2 laser will create a sterile surface when cutting the tissue, there is less risk of infection and faster healing rates for the incision.
