What Can Gum Contouring Do For Me?
When you want your smile to look its best, your gums matter. Excess gum tissue can leave your teeth looking smaller than they are while uneven gum lines can leave your smile looking off-kilter. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your gums, Dr. J. Eric Herrington, a board-certified periodontist, can artfully reshape your gum line with surgical gum contouring.
Dr. Herrington proudly serves the communities of Meridian, MS, and nearby Laurel and Hattiesburg. He is dedicated to providing professional, high quality care to every patient.
Who Benefits from Gum Contouring?
Although gum contouring is often recommended as a medical treatment for periodontal disease, there are many cosmetic benefits to undergoing gum contouring at our Meridian dental practice, as well. The shape of our gums plays an important role in how beautiful our smile is perceived to be. Consequently, two of the leading sources of embarrassment for our patients are “gummy smiles” and a ragged or uneven gum line. A ragged gum line can result from genetics, trauma, excessively aggressive brushing, and other causes.
Gum contouring combats these effects by lifting your gum line in order to lengthen the appearance of your teeth. Often, the procedure can also deliver drastic results for a far lower cost than alternative treatments like porcelain veneers.
Patients who undergo gum contouring at our Meridian dental practice can benefit from:
- A safe procedure
- Low risk for complications
- Drastic cosmetic results
- A fully customizable treatment
- An attractive and symmetrical smile
By working with Dr. Herrington, you will be in expert care. Dr. Herrington graduated Magna Cum Laude from Millsaps College and was honored with the AAP award for Outstanding Achievement in Periodontics.
Gum contouring allows Dr. Herrington to make minor changes to the contours of your gums while delivering drastic cosmetic results.
How Does Gum Contouring Work?
Dr. Herrington will approach your gum contouring conservatively by removing small amounts of excess gum tissue. As with any oral surgery, patients should be in good overall health and free from gum disease.
He will begin the procedure by administer a local anesthesia to minimize your discomfort. If you are anxious about sitting in the dentist’s chair, our Meridian dental practice also offers two forms of sedation: oral conscious and IV. Both options will help you relax during your appointment.
Once you are comfortable, Dr. Herrington will use a special laser to remove excess gum tissue based on your cosmetic goals. After your gum tissue has been artfully contoured, you will be given recovery guidelines and released. By using advanced laser technology, our patients can benefit from quicker recovery and lower risk of complications. Most of our patients experience a full recovery after about one week to 10 days.