What is gum contouring?
Gum contouring is the removal or reshaping of a small amount of gum tissue to improve the outline of the gum line. It may be done for appearance, for example when one gum edge sits lower than its neighbour, or for practical reasons, such as giving a dentist enough healthy tooth to work with. The procedure is also called gum reshaping, gum sculpting or a gum lift, though these terms are used loosely and do not always mean exactly the same thing.
People ask about it for several reasons. Some feel their teeth look short because gum covers part of them, which is often called a gummy smile. Others have an uneven gum line, where the gum edges do not follow the same curve, which can make the smile look uneven. A dentist can only say which of these applies after an assessment, because gum height can be affected by the size of the teeth, the position of the jaw, the lip and the bone as well as by the gum itself.
When bone is involved
Bone is involved when the gum sits too close to the bone to be reshaped on its own. A dentist or periodontist works this out by measuring the gum pockets with a probe and by looking at X rays of the bone below the gum line. Our gum assessment includes checking gum recession and bite, testing for loose teeth and measuring gum pockets, and X rays may be taken to see the bone under the gum.
When bone does need adjusting, the procedure is a surgical one and takes longer to heal than a minor gum reshape. It is also why we do not offer a quick yes or no without examining you. A gum edge that looks easy to trim from the front may need much more work than expected once the bone is measured.
