Are you unhappy with the appearance of your smile? You are not alone. Studies in this decade show that as many as one third of Americans are unsatisfied with their teeth. One common cause is what we call a gummy smile, or what occurs when there is too much gum tissue showing in the front teeth. This excessive gum tissue covers up the beautiful white tooth enamel that is hidden underneath. But there’s a solution. The team at Sommers Family Dentistry can help fix your gummy smile in Norwalk with efficient, effective laser dentistry. Learn how today.

What Causes a Gummy Smile

Wondering what caused your gummy smile in the first place? It may be caused by a number of factors. The most common is simply too much gum tissue. It covers up the front teeth and, even though they are the proper length, they look short or stubby as a result.

Another cause of a gummy smile is the placement of the upper lip. If it pulls back when you smile, you will display more of your upper gums than tooth enamel. Perhaps you were born with extra gums, or maybe your teeth have become worn as a result of teeth grinding or injury.

People with gummy smiles may be reluctant to show their teeth, or they will suffer from low self-confidence as a result of the excessive gum tissue. However your smile is affecting you, your dentist can help by removing the extra tissue.

Gum Contouring with Laser Dentistry

At Sommers Family Dentistry, we use laser dentistry to treat gummy smiles. Traditional gum surgery requires invasive cutting with a scalpel, closure with stitches, and long recovery times. But the laser offers a minimally-invasive, highly-accurate alternative.

The procedure known as gum contouring allows your dentist to remove excess gum tissue quickly and efficiently, without the need for a scalpel or stitches. The laser is a concentrated beam of light that gives your dentist extreme precision when contouring the gums.

The benefits of laser dentistry for gum contouring are significant. They include:

• Faster recovery
• Comfortable procedure
• Minimal bleeding
• Increased precision for better outcomes overall

Just like we can fix a smile with too much gum tissue, your dentist can also perform contouring with laser dentistry when severe gum recession has occurred. Gum recession is caused by aggressive tooth brushing or gum disease and results in tooth sensitivity and possibly tooth loss. Gum contouring is an efficient, painless option for correcting gum recession.

Your Norwalk Dentist Can Fix Your Gummy Smile

If you are suffering as a result of excessive gum tissue in the front of your smile, your dentist at Sommers Family Dentistry can help. Laser dentistry is transforming the way we perform oral surgeries — and gum contouring has never been faster or more efficient than it is today. Please get in touch with us to discuss how we can transform your smile with laser dentistry!