LASER GUM CONTOURING
When the gum line is the thing making your smile look off.
Gummy smile or uneven gum line? Dr. Alex Mercado reshapes it with an Er:YAG laser in East Sacramento. No scalpel, usually no sutures. (916) 448-5458.
Signs this page is for you
This page is for you if any of this sounds familiar:
- You see more gum than teeth when you smile fully
- Your gum line runs higher on one side than the other
- Your teeth look short or stubby even though they are a normal length
- Extra tissue covers the edge of a tooth and makes it look uneven
- You are planning veneers and want the gum line corrected first
THE FRAME, NOT JUST THE TEETH
Beautiful teeth in a crooked frame still read as crooked.
People who dislike their smile usually blame the teeth. Often the teeth are fine and the gum line is the problem. Tissue that sits a millimeter lower on one central incisor than the other, or that covers enough of the front teeth to make them look short, will pull the whole smile out of balance no matter how good the enamel underneath is.
Dr. Mercado reshapes the gum line with the LiteTouch Er:YAG laser. Because the laser removes tissue in very thin layers rather than in a single cut, the outline can be sculpted gradually and checked against the tooth proportions being designed to, which is exactly the kind of control a cosmetic result depends on.
WAYS TO FIX IT
Treatment paths we may recommend
The right option depends on your exam. These are the treatments Dr. Mercado draws on for this concern, from most conservative to most comprehensive.
The procedure
Laser Gum Recontouring
The gum line reshaped in very small increments with an Er:YAG laser. No scalpel, minimal bleeding, and usually no sutures.
Often paired
Porcelain Veneers
Contouring sets the frame, porcelain fills it. Correcting the tissue first is what keeps a veneer case from looking subtly off.
The full plan
Smile Makeover
When gum line, tooth proportion, color, and alignment are all part of the picture, they are planned together rather than one at a time.
For gaps at the gum line
BioClear
For dark triangular gaps that open between teeth near the gum line. Injection-molded composite closes them without cutting healthy enamel.
What an uneven gum line actually does to a smile
Smile design works on proportion. The width-to-length ratio of the central incisors, the symmetry of the gum peaks above each tooth, and how much tissue shows when you smile fully are all part of how a face reads as balanced. When those relationships are off, most people cannot name what is wrong. They just say the smile looks strange in photos.
Three patterns come up most often. Tissue that sits low across the front teeth makes them look short and square even at a normal length. Asymmetric peaks, where one tooth has more gum showing than its twin on the other side, draw the eye immediately once you notice them. And a high lip line that exposes a broad band of gum above the teeth is what most people mean by a gummy smile.
Why the laser suits this particular job
Two reasons, and both are practical rather than promotional.
The first is increment. Cosmetic gum work is measured in fractions of a millimeter. An Er:YAG laser removes a thin layer per pass, which means the shape develops gradually and can be assessed against the plan as it goes, rather than being committed to in one stroke.
The second is the working field. The laser seals small vessels as it removes tissue, so there is generally minimal bleeding during the procedure. That gives the dentist a clear view of the outline he is creating at the moment he is creating it, and it usually means no sutures and a quieter few days afterward for the patient.
Where it fits in a cosmetic plan
Gum contouring is rarely the whole answer on its own. Most often it is the first move in a plan that also includes porcelain veneers, bonding, or whitening, because correcting the frame first is what allows the porcelain to be designed to the right proportions instead of compensating for the wrong ones.
Sometimes contouring alone is enough. If your teeth are healthy, well aligned, and a good color, and the only issue is that too little of them is showing, reshaping the tissue can change the smile substantially with no work on the teeth at all. Dr. Mercado will tell you honestly which of those two situations you are in.
What to expect
The consultation includes photographs and a discussion of proportion, so you can see what is being planned before anything is done. The procedure itself is usually short and performed with local anesthetic, since gum tissue is more sensitive than enamel. Afterward, expect tenderness rather than pain, over-the-counter pain relief for a day or two, and a settled appearance within roughly one to two weeks, with fine detail continuing to mature after that.
One honest caveat: excess gum tissue caused by inflammation, certain medications, or an underlying bite problem needs the cause addressed, not just the appearance. Reshaping tissue while the reason for it is still active is how results come undone. That assessment happens at the exam.
More about the technology is on the laser dentistry page, and real cases are in the smile gallery.
PATIENT QUESTIONS
Uneven Gum Line FAQ
What is laser gum contouring?
It is the reshaping of the gum line to improve the proportion between visible tooth and visible tissue. An Er:YAG laser removes very thin layers of gum tissue at a time, so Dr. Mercado can sculpt the outline gradually and check symmetry as he goes rather than committing to a single cut. It is a cosmetic soft tissue procedure, distinct from treatment for gum disease.
Does it hurt?
Soft tissue is more sensitive than enamel, so gum contouring is usually done with local anesthetic even though many laser procedures on teeth are not. The procedure itself is short. Afterward most patients report tenderness rather than pain, comparable to a scratch on the roof of the mouth, and manage it with over-the-counter pain relief for a day or two.
How long does healing take?
The tissue typically looks settled within one to two weeks, with the fine detail continuing to mature for several weeks after that. Because the laser seals small vessels as it works, there is generally little bleeding and often no need for sutures. Dr. Mercado will give you specific aftercare and, when veneers are part of the plan, will time the porcelain around that healing rather than rushing it.
Will the gum grow back?
Properly planned contouring is stable in most cases. Some regrowth is possible, particularly when the original excess tissue was caused by inflammation, medication, or an underlying bite issue rather than natural proportion. Dr. Mercado assesses the cause before treating the appearance, because reshaping tissue without addressing why it is there is how a result comes undone.
Why use a laser instead of a scalpel?
Precision and a clean field. The laser removes tissue in thin layers, which suits a procedure where a fraction of a millimeter changes how the smile reads. It also seals small vessels as it goes, so there is less bleeding during the appointment, better visibility for the dentist, and typically a quieter recovery for the patient. For a cosmetic case where the result is judged by eye, that control matters.
Can it be done at the same visit as veneers?
Sometimes, and sometimes not. When the tissue change is modest, contouring and preparation can be sequenced closely. When more tissue is being reshaped, it is usually better to let the gum line settle before the final porcelain is designed to it, so that the finished margins sit exactly where they were planned. Dr. Mercado will tell you which applies to your case at the consultation.
SACRAMENTO CONSULTATIONS
Let's look at it together.
1029 56th Street, Sacramento, CA 95819 Mon–Thu 7AM–4PM Fri 8AM–12PM
The information on this page is general dental education, not a diagnosis. An exam is required before any treatment recommendation.