Home » Esthetic Crown Lengthening & Gingival Contouring
Achieve a Beautiful Smile: The Benefits of Crown Lengthening and Gum Contouring
A balanced gumline supports the health of your teeth and mouth and promotes the most attractive smile proportions. To restore or achieve the most aesthetic smile, Desert Ridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry may recommend procedures such as crown lengthening and gingival contouring.
What is crown lengthening and gingival contouring for?
These procedures may be appropriate when the gumline appears to overwhelm your teeth. When you smile, too much of this soft tissue may be seen. The gums may cover up the white, hard tissue or crown. This condition may simply be rooted in how your teeth, gums, and jaws developed. Or, gingival hyperplasia/gum overgrowth can develop due to orthodontic treatment or the use of certain medications, among other causes. Fortunately, these procedures target the excess tissue and reshape the gumline. So, all parts of your smile are in beautiful harmony with each other.
What is the difference between gingival contouring and crown lengthening?
The specific approach that is recommended depends on your unique needs. With both, the idea is to reshape the gumline so less of the soft tissue is visible and more of the white crown is exposed. Gingival contouring, however, only involves treating the soft tissues. Sometimes all it takes is altering a very small amount of this tissue to make over the appearance of your smile and, in turn, your smile. In other cases, crown lengthening may also be recommended to expose an adequate amount of the tooth’s hard structure. This process is incorporated into treatment and reshapes the underlying bone and the gums.
What approach is best for me?
We can determine that following an examination at our office. We consider factors not limited to:
The length or size of your teeth
The amount of tooth exposure that may be needed, especially for dental restoration treatment
Just how “gummy” your smile appears
The natural shape of your teeth
The overall evenness of your gumline
How are these procedures performed?
Desert Ridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry has invested in laser technologies to perform many periodontal therapies. In some cases, we may be able to perform cosmetic recontouring with the dental laser. This system allows us to alter the tissues gently, without any device or instrument coming in contact with the gums. Since treatment is not invasive, patients report less discomfort. The process is very safe because it keeps surrounding tissues intact by targeting only the tissues needing treatment.
Laser-assisted gum therapies also encourage fast and predictable healing. This approach may be incorporated into other treatments, such as smile makeovers, orthodontics, and implant placement. We can provide optimal tooth exposure before restorations are placed and also resolve changes in the gumline and underlying bone that result from other restorative dentistry procedures.
Small changes in your gumline can make a big impact. Take the first step to reaching your goal:, smile. Schedule an appointment at our office, which proudly serves the Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Glendale, Peoria, and Mesa, AZ area—call (602) 932-6297 to speak with a member of our team in Scottsdale today.
At Desert Ridge Periodontics, patients benefit from the expertise of Dr. Dan Indech, DDS, a board-certified periodontist with more than 30 years of experience in periodontal care, dental implants, and laser surgery. Trained at leading institutions in Canada, the U.S., and Sweden, he has placed over 10,000 implants and is nationally recognized for his work in Implantology and LANAP® laser periodontal therapy.
Dr. Indech and the team deliver compassionate, evidence-based periodontal and implant care focused on long-term oral health and personalized treatment.
