What is gum contouring?

Performed by a specialist dentist, Gum contouring is a dental procedure that reshapes your gum line. If you feel shy and insecure about your gumline, gum contouring is for you. Gum contouring, also known as “gum aesthetics”, involves cutting or removing excess flesh around your teeth. Since it is not a medical necessity, it is generally preferred for aesthetic concerns. However, from time to time, it may be a procedure recommended by your dentist for oral health reasons.

At ABAY DENTAL CENTER, you can find out whether you need gum contouring with the examinations you will make with our expert dentists.

When does gum contouring become medically necessary?

Gum contouring is often done for aesthetic and cosmetic purposes. But there are also times when it is considered a medical necessity by your dentist. ABAY DENTAL CENTER takes a very professional approach in this regard.

• If you have periodontal disease, our dentists prefer to solve the problem primarily with non-surgical methods. This method includes using antibiotics to kill the infection and cleaning the teeth.
• If these efforts do not work, our dentist recommends pocket reduction surgery in the bone around the gums to save the tooth. In this case, regeneration is required to enlarge the damaged bone and gingival tissue.
• Apart from all these, gum contouring may be medically necessary. In case of such a situation, our specialist dentists create the appropriate calendar and perform the necessary medical procedures.

What does gum contouring involve?

Gum contouring is a procedure that is usually performed in a single visit. At ABAY DENTAL CENTER, this procedure is performed by our specialist dentists with local anesthesia to numb the gingival area.

During the gum contouring process, our dentist aims to remove excess tooth tissue and make the tooth more visible. Therefore, They use a soft tissue laser or scalpel to reshape the gum line. Sutures are used to hold the gum tissue in place.

If your gums are receding, our dentist takes the tissue from another part of your mouth, usually from your palate. The surgery fixes this tissue around your teeth to reconstruct your gumline.

The duration of the gum contouring process is 1 to 2 hours.

How long does it take to heal after gum contouring?

Gum contouring requires very little cutting of tissue, but the full healing process can take days or weeks, depending on the extent of the surgery. For this reason, you need to take a break from some of the things you do in your daily life in the healing process

Since your gums will become sensitive after gum contouring, you should consume soft foods and drinks for about 2 to 3 days. These foods and beverages are as follows:

• Soup
• Yogurt
• Puree

At ABAY DENTAL CENTER, our specialist dentists will give you post-operative dietary instructions and let you know if there are any foods you should avoid while you recover. They may also recommend an antibiotic and mouth rinse to reduce the risk of infection.