Healthy gum tissue protects your teeth from disease and is cosmetically important to ensure a naturally beautiful smile. Gum tissue loss or 'Gum recession' can cause you to have tooth sensitivity as well as make it harder for you to clean the area. In addition, patients may look older than their age because their teeth appear to be too long ("long in the tooth"). Soft tissue grafts and other root coverage procedures are designed to cover exposed roots making your smile look younger and decrease the tooth sensitivity you may have.

When gum tissue recedes due to periodontal disease, it pulls away from the teeth. Periodontal plastic surgery procedures can restore root coverage and dramatically improve your smile.

Soft tissue grafts and other root coverage procedures cover exposed roots and restore healthy gum tissue. This will reduce further bone loss and recession, make the tooth less sensitive, protect the root from root cavities, make crowns or implants look more natural. This will improve the esthetics of your smile.

The muscles of the cheeks and lips are attached to the gums and tissue of the mouth by a section of soft tissue called a frenum. Sometimes a frenum can be attached too high on the gums causing either gum recession or spaces between teeth.

In addition, there is another frenum under the tongue. If this frenum is attached too close to the end of the tongue it can adversely affect swallowing and speech. Sometimes this is referred to as being "tongue-tied".  A Frenectomy is a simple procedure where either part or all of the frenum in question is repositioned in order to return a healthy balance to the mouth.

Some people have teeth that look too "short" due to the relationship between their teeth and gums. This creates a "gummy" smile. A procedure called "gum contouring" is often used to remove excess gum tissue and expose more of the crown of the tooth. In fact, your gum line can be carefully sculpted to create just the right proportion between gum tissue and tooth surface which will result in a better looking smile. Gum contouring can also make crowns and/or bridges look more natural, leading to an improvement in the esthetics of your smile.

If the gum is uneven around a tooth, gum contouring can smooth and balance the way your tooth and gum look. The procedure produces a natural looking, symmetrical gum line that is esthetically pleasing.

Periodontal Plastic Surgery - Frenectomy - Gum Contouring

For a free consultation please contact our New York Periodontist
Dr. Stuart Froum in his Manhattan office at 212.586.4209 for more information regarding gum contouring.

>> Click here to see Before & After images