Digital Smile Makeover

If you leave it untreated, a gummy smile will not only negatively affect your smile aesthetics but also the overall appearance. Regardless, there is a cure for a gummy smile, which can be resolved by undergoing different dental treatments.

• A gum re-contouring procedure can be used to reveal more of your front teeth. Gingivectomy / ginigivoplasty is where the gum tissue is surgically excised. This procedure that sculpts your gum line is painlessly done using lasers. At times the underlying bone can also be contoured if required. After a very comfortable pain free healing period, laminates or veneers can be done to alter the mal aligned or misshapen teeth and restore not only your smile but your self-confidence back!!
• The other procedure is a lip lowering procedure. The lip lowering technique modifies the area where the upper lip and the gum tissue conjoin. Using a minor periodontal surgical procedure, the upper high lip line is just repositioned or lowered. The outcome is surely very dramatic and rewarding of course!!
• The other non-surgical approach to this is to go the "BOTOX WAY". This simple procedure is where small amount of BOTOX is injected on each side of your lip. This weakens the hyperactive muscles and reduce the elevation of your upper lip, thereby reducing your inhibiting gummy smile. Your new smile will last for about four to six months helping you make up for the time you lost trying to hide your smile!!

The most common procedure that we perform is the gum contouring with dental laser treatment. We also may consider Lip Lowering or BOTOX depending on the case and could present these options to you following a proper diagnostic consultation.

During your visit, your gums and teeth will be anaesthetised with a local anaesthetic near the site of correction. Once the area is numb, the excessive gum tissue will be removed via a soft tissue laser and the gums will be contoured to the desired shape. What makes it more comfortable is that the laser does not produce any sort of vibration or heat. The dentist also makes use of a gentle spray of water to keep it smooth and steady. In most cases this procedure is done in tandem with the placement of dental veneers.

Post-operative care following a gummy smile corrective procedure is essential for healing and preventing complications.

General Care :

Activity :
After leaving our dental clinic post treatment, we suggest you consider relaxing or at least limiting your activity as much as possible for the remainder of the day. Avoid strenuous activity and aerobic exercise for the next 3 days.

Oral hygiene :
Brushing and oral hygiene procedures should continue as usual in all untreated areas. In exposed, operated areas, limit your oral hygiene to brushing using a soft bristled toothbrush. In areas covered by periodontal dressing, brush only the chewing surfaces of teeth. Avoid dental flossing in operated areas during the first week following surgery. Undiluted medicated mouthwash, salt water or peroxide rinses should be used during the first week following surgery. Also avoid the use of water irrigation devices such as Water-pik for 1 month following surgery. The exposed operated areas should be gently swabbed with a cotton bud saturated with Betadine or Chlorhexidine as a last oral hygiene procedure at bedtime and again in the morning, after eating and drinking.

Do's :

• Some discomfort may be present when the anesthesia wears off. You will be given a prescription for an anti-inflammatory analgesic. If the pain does not subside please do call us and we will guide you further.
• It is normal for some swelling to occur after surgery, particularly in the lower jaw. To minimize swelling after surgery, apply an ice bag wrapped in a light tea towel or handkerchief on the outside of your face over the operated area. This should be left on your face for about 20 minutes, then removed for 20 minutes, or alternated from side-to-side, between operated areas, for 2-3 hours after surgery. Use of both ice and the medicine as described above will reduce the amount and duration of facial swelling.
• It is common to have slight bleeding for a few hours following periodontal surgery. If bleeding persists, apply a tea bag to the surgical site with firm but gentle pressure for 15-20 minutes. Rest yourself for 15 minutes then repeat the application of the tea bag for a second time if you still have slight bleeding. If excessive bleeding continues, please call our clinic. Remember, most of the blood you may see in your mouth is actually a little bit of blood mixed with a lot of saliva. Blood is a very strong "dye" and a little bit of blood will color your saliva dramatically.
• If you are prescribed an antibiotic, it is important that you complete the course of treatment to prevent infection.

Don'ts :

• Do not eat until all the anesthesia (numbness) has worn off.
• Avoid spicy, salty, acidic, very hot or very cold foods or liquids.
• Avoid nuts, chips or other crunchy or fibrous foods which may become caught between your teeth.
• No smoking, drinking through a straw and no carbonated or alcoholic beverages for 48 hours following surgery.

Use of removalble dental appliances :
If you normally wear a removable appliance which replaces missing teeth, and it rests on the operated area, it is best to minimize the use of this appliance as any pressure on the surgical site could be detrimental to healing and cause discomfort.

As with other dental procedures, the cost of dental laser treatment varies from person to person. It all depends on the amount of gum that needs to be removed. Apart from this, other factors that were mentioned in the article above could simultaneously increase or decrease the cost of the treatment. The treatment costs anywhere between Rs.7000 to Rs 15000.

If the procedure is to fix one or two teeth, the cost will be lower, but if the entire gum line needs treatment, the estimates would be on the higher end of the scale. This is just the cost of dental laser treatment for gummy smile correction. If the procedure requires other dental treatments such as porcelain veneers or dental crown placement in combination with dental laser, the cost may increase due to additional treatments.