Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Change Your Smile’s Appearance With Gum Reshaping
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - Just like a piece of beautiful artwork deserves a high-quality frame, a great smile needs to be framed with healthy, shapely and symmetrical gum tissue.
Gingival tissue that is red, swollen or asymmetrical detracts from teeth that are otherwise healthy and straight, according to Dr. Khalil “Dr. Sage” Saghezchi, a Cupertino dentist. He has a dental laser he uses at his cosmetic dentistry practice to transform patients’ gingival tissue in a procedure called gum shaping, also known as gum contouring, reshaping, recontouring or crown lengthening.
“I think if more people knew about these procedures, the impact they can make on a smile and how relatively painless the process is, there would be a lot more people seeking out this service,” says Dr. Saghezchi, who started offering this dental procedure in 1992.
The first step is to make sure the gum tissue is healthy by addressing any inflammation and getting the tissue firm and pink. Once that is accomplished, the dentist can see the real contours of the gum tissue and discuss treatment options with the patient.
The ideal smile has gingival margins, meaning the length of the tissue, where the gum is the same height for the two upper central incisors and upper canines with a slightly lower gingival margin for the two lateral incisors, the teeth on either side of the two front teeth.
“A very common problem is a slight variation in the symmetry, which can quickly and easily be touched up with an in-office procedure,” says Dr. Saghezchi.
In some patients, the gingival margins may not be in the most aesthetic position, such as gum tissue that is lower on one front tooth and not the other, making it appear that one tooth is longer than the other. Some people may have symmetrical gingival margins but appear to have very short or small teeth due to how low the gum tissue comes down.
The solution to both problems is a surgical reshaping of the gum line. Dr. Saghezchi can use the dental laser to gently and precisely remove the unwanted gum tissue from one or more tooth to balance the gingival margins and the smile’s appearance. In most cases, that is the only procedure needed to address the issue.
“The procedure is pretty simple,” says Dr. Saghezchi. “It can be done in the office, only requires a topical anesthetic and the tissue heals very quickly.”
In some cases, particularly where a lot of gum is revealed when the person smiles, contouring the tissue alone is not enough because the tissue will grow back. The remedy to that is to slightly reduce the bone at the front of the root. The gingival margins need to be about three millimeters from the edge of the bone to prevent the gum tissue from regenerating.
“The procedure is slightly more invasive than simply doing a gum reshaping, but patients do not experience much discomfort and the results are dramatic,” says Dr. Saghezchi.
He recommends patients schedule a consultation with him or their family dentist if they think that they are a candidate for this procedure.
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