Gummy Smile
The Problem:
Excessive, visible gums and worn teeth. Are this patient’s gums too high or are the teeth too short? A gummy smile can have a negative affect on the aesthetics of your smile. It can be caused by the shape and size of your lips and your teeth, facial muscles, and your gum tissue.
The Solution:
First, her gums were reshaped, which for this patient included the painless, surgical removal of gum tissue –– but can sometimes include the surrounding bone. This procedure is typically performed under local anesthesia.
Second, I added porcelain veneers, which are thin shells of porcelain bonded to the front of the teeth, which enabled me to change her teeth’s shape, color, position and size.
The Result:
She is proud to now have a great-looking, well-balanced smile featuring an optimal smile line that reveals the least amount of gum possible!
The Problem:
This patient was concerned about her fractured, worn teeth and wanted to protect them from further damage. Since it was her front teeth, the treatment needed to be concerned with the aesthetic as well, which involved making the excessive amount of visible gum look more appropriate.
The Solution:
I remodeled the gum to make it more even and less visible. This was accomplished completely painlessly by numbing the area and removing the gum tissue. It was followed by placing porcelain veneers, which are thin shells of porcelain bonded onto the teeth, on the six front teeth. The porcelain veneers restored the teeth to their natural size and not only protected against further fracture and wear, but aligned the teeth into a more aesthetic (and functionally correct) position.
The Result:
The combination of these two procedures resulted in a much more harmonious smile.