Periodontal Plastic Surgery

Besides for cosmetics, healthy gum tissue protects ones teeth from periodontal disease as well as teeth sensitivity. Gum recession is when the gums shrink exposing the tooth roots. Gum graft surgery allows us to regrow the gum loss and helps to prevent additional recession and bone loss. Gum grafts can be used to cover the exposed roots and develop gum tissue that has been lost due to recession. A periodontist can either take gum tissue from your palate, a donor source or use artificial gum. This can be done for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line to give you a balanced smile.

Besides helping your smile, gum grafts helps reduce further recession and bone loss by preventing plaque buildup. It can also help prevent tooth loss in the future by preventing tooth decay and increasing the stability of your teeth. Gum grafting can also reduce tooth sensitivity and improve the esthetics of your smile.

Some people may notice that they have short teeth, gums covering their teeth or a overall too much gums show when they smile which is known as a “gummy smile”. In these situations, aesthetic crown lengthening and/or lip repositioning may be the solution. During this procedure, the excess gum tissue is removed by a laser to expose more of the crown of the tooth. The gumline around your teeth is then sculpted to give your new smile a more natural look.