Gumline contouring is a cosmetic dental procedure performed to enhance the appearance of the gums and overall smile. It is also known as a gingival sculpting procedure or gingivoplasty. It involves the literal cutting off of excessive gum tissue, to make the gumline appear more even and symmetrical. However, if the patient suffers from gumline recession, i.e., absence of gum tissue around the gumline, the dentist will use gum tissue from another spot in the mouth and will graft it to the area of requirement. When the gumline is even and fuller, it automatically makes the smile appear more beautiful.
Various other conditions of the teeth like crookedness, misalignment, etc. can also be fixed with a gumline contouring procedure. Let us try to understand how.
Uneven gumline
An uneven gumline can negatively affect the appearance and can be visible whenever the patient smiles or speaks. It can also make pronunciation difficult. The major cause of an uneven gumline is the genetic makeup of the patient. If there is a long history of the uneven gumline in the patient’s family, there is a chance of the patient inheriting this trait. However, several other factors also contribute to gumline misalignment. Certain drugs can also cause the gumline to become uneven and asymmetrical. Health conditions like gum disease can also affect the condition of the gums.
The gums could be affected due to any of these reasons. Mainly there are two ways in which the gums misalign: excessive gum tissue that covers the teeth or gum recession. Excessive gum tissue in the gumline can extend over to the front of the teeth as well as the basal or the roof of the teeth, making them look small and hindering their function. Whereas, in gum recession, the gumline exceeds the back making the teeth appear larger and prone to infection as the nerves become exposed.
The treatment for both these dental conditions are different. In the case of excessive gum tissue, the dentist will sculpt the gumline by cutting away excessive gum tissue. In gum recession, gum tissue from another spot in the mouth will be stitched to the area in the gumline that lacks an adequate amount of tissue.
Crooked teeth
Crooked teeth may be caused due to injury of any kind or genetic factors. Although crooked teeth require braces and other dental treatments like aligners and implants for complete correction, gum contouring helps straighten the gumline and can make the teeth appear even and aligned. After gum contouring, the patient may not even require other treatments for the correction of the teeth structure.
Often, the teeth also appear irregularly shaped because the gumline covers the surface of the teeth. Contouring helps the dentist craft the teeth and make them look beautiful and more even.
Severe gum recession
Gum recession is the condition in which the gum tissue is not present in an adequate amount to hold the teeth in place. Almost all the gum tissue is pulled back to the roots or base of the gumline, exposing the tooth root and nerves. This may cause damage to the nerves and cause sensitivity in teeth as the nerves are exposed to microbial attack and accumulation. Also, gum recession causes pockets to develop between the gumline and the teeth, making more room for bacterial accumulation and germ build-up.
If gum recession is left untreated, it can cause cavity formation, tooth decay, and tooth loss. It can also affect the jawbone and can make it weaker. The gum contouring procedure for gum recession is different than usual. For treating this condition, a piece of gum tissue is cut from another spot in the mouth and is stitched to the place where the gums are receding, thus covering the root area of the tooth and making the teeth strongly attached to the jawbone.
Gumline contouring procedure
The dentist will thoroughly examine the teeth and will recommend the appropriate treatment. If gum contouring is required, the dentist will begin with making marks on the gumline for drafting an appropriate pattern for sculpting. Then the patient will be administered local anaesthesia so he will experience minimum discomfort. After making sure the gums have become numb, tools like laser, scalpels, and even radiosurgery could be performed for accurate crafting of the gumline. The patient will remain awake during the procedure but will experience minimal pain.
Risks and side effects of gumline contouring
Dental and other surgeries alike have their risks to keep in mind. In a gumline contouring procedure, an allergic reaction to the anaesthesia is possible, but it happens very rarely. Another thing to keep in mind is the possibility of a gum relapse. Also, gum infection is a possible side effect of gumline contouring as the gumline will be exposed. To avoid such complications, the patient should completely understand the gumline contouring procedure and should inform the dentist correctly about any complications, and conditions of the teeth.
Recovery from surgery
Since the gum contouring procedure is completely surgical, healing from it may take a little time. Usually, it takes a few days to a couple of weeks to completely heal from the gum contouring procedure. The healing duration also depends on the amount of tissue affected and the aftercare. For quick recovery, the patient is advised to follow the aftercare tips given by the dental professional. If dental scalpels are used in the procedure, healing may take longer. This is the primary reason why most dentists prefer laser to cut excess gum tissue and not scalpels as they also cut sutures that may cause irritation and bleeding in gums, causing delayed healing.
Also, as an aftercare regime, patients are supposed to eat only soft foods like yogurt, eggs, etc. Hard and crunchy foods are to be avoided as the gum tissue will be sore for a few days after the procedure. The patient should also be gentle with teeth during brushing and flossing.