Sometimes the teeth are quite small in relation to the gum tissue. This can create an unattractive "gummy" smile. An uneven gum line can also be distracting.

The gum line, and the bone just beneath the gum line, can be lowered to change the appearance of your smile. This can create a more even gum line or make the teeth appear longer. "Gingival (gum) contouring" is the process of recontouring the gum only. "Crown lengthening" refers to recontouring of both gum and supporting bone.

Procedure: Your periodontist administers a local anesthetic and gently recontours excess gum and bone tissue to expose more of your natural teeth.