Give your gums the tender, loving care they deserve … for your healthiest, most beautiful smile!

When you look in the mirror and smile, do you just see reddish-pink gums staring back at you and not much else? Do you fixate on your gum line? If so, you may be a great candidate for gum recontouring, skillfully performed by our talented cosmetic dentist at Manchester Dental, Dr. Abel Aguilar.

The importance of the gums

Gingival tissues play an important role in your smile’s health and overall appearance. Healthy gums are snug and firm against the teeth. Gummy tissue optimally protects and holds them in place. For this reason, we partner closely with patients in west-central Georgia to protect their gums from the effects of gingival inflammation and infection.

As gum disease takes hold, you may notice many changes that also affect the appearance of your entire smile. Without treatment, the disease progresses, and the gums gradually pull away from the teeth. Receding gums expose more of the teeth. So, you may notice that your smile looks “toothy.” This process reinforces the importance of gums as it relates to the aesthetics of your smile. Yes, your gum line surrounds the teeth to protect them and their structural integrity; however, it also “frames” the teeth. When your gum line is either recessed or overly “gummy” due to conditions such as gingival hyperplasia, it can take away from the symmetry and harmonious proportions of the entire smile. Our team is adept at restoring that beautiful harmony – and we do so in a precise and gentle way (with laser dentistry).

Treatment options

Recontouring or reshaping treatment is technique-specific. So, the results from treatment depend on the skill of the person performing the procedure. You can rest assured that Dr. Aguilar has the experience, knowledge, and tools to reveal your proportional, healthy, and attractive smile, regardless of the nature of your gingival concerns or condition. Furthermore, the specific technique employed depends on the particular concern that brought you to our office in the first place, as well as the extent of the imbalance or disease.

For “gummy” smiles, we access the gummy tissue and pull it away, repositioning and reshaping the gum line as needed. In doing so, we expose more of the crowns or visible parts of the teeth. Periodontal therapies may also precede reshaping to eradicate harmful bacteria which may be present. Treatments might include a “deep clean” below the gum line to promote gingival healing. For “toothy” smiles affected by gum recession, we can also discuss other periodontal therapies. These may include regenerative techniques to build up deteriorated or lost tissues.

Generally, we support comfort, optimal outcomes, and minimal time spent “chairside” (in treatment) with dental lasers. Laser technology presents a cutting- and a scalpel-free way to alter tissues. Partly, Dr. Aguilar can use lasers to sterilize the gums and to treat gum disease, as well as to correct gummy overgrowth and for “gingivoplasty,” the medical way of referring to gum line sculpting and contouring techniques.

Call (706) 981-6272 to schedule your appointment at Manchester Dental. Dr. Aguilar won’t know the best potential treatment options for you until after he evaluates your teeth and gums.