What is Gum Contouring: How Painful is It?
Your gums are an important part of your smile. They frame your teeth and show your health. But not everyone has the same gum line. Some people have gums that are too high or too low. Some people have gums that are uneven. If you are unhappy with your gum line, you can change it by visiting the dentist in Vancouver and asking for gum contouring.
Gum reshaping, also known as gingival sculpting or gingivoplasty, is a way to reshape your gum line. Your dentist may suggest this procedure if you suffer problems with your gums that affect your oral health. But do you know what gum contouring involves?
This guide explains the gum contouring and reshaping process and gives you some tips on how to care for your gums after the procedure.
What Is Gum Contouring?
Gum contouring is a procedure done by dental experts to change and improve your gum line. The gum contouring process involves cutting and removing extra gum tissue around your teeth. If you have gum recession because of gum disease, the procedure also involves adding gum tissue.
Gum contouring procedures are usually optional, meaning they are not medically needed. Many people choose to have this procedure to make their gums, teeth, and smiles look better.
When Is Gum Contouring Medically Needed?
Although gum contouring near you is usually a cosmetic procedure, it can also be medically needed in some cases. For example, if you have gum disease with receding gums, the dentist may recommend gum contouring as a treatment option. However, gum contouring is usually the last option because dentists first try to treat gum disease with non-surgical methods. These methods may include antibiotics to kill the bacteria and the infection and dental cleanings to restore gum health.
If non-surgical methods do not work, your local dentist may suggest other treatments, such as pocket reduction surgery which will be done on the gums and surrounding bone, to preserve your teeth. You may also need regeneration procedures to grow back damaged bone and gum tissue.
Pocket reduction surgery may also include gum contouring as part of the procedure. In these cases, your dental insurance provider may cover some of the cost if it is medically needed. However, you should talk to your insurance provider to find out what is covered and what you have to pay yourself.
How Is Gum Contouring and Reshaping Done?
The gum contouring or reshaping process is generally done by a periodontist in one visit to the dental office. You get local anesthesia to numb your gums before the dentist starts the procedure.
During the procedure, the dentist uses a soft tissue laser or a scalpel to cut and take out extra gum tissue and reshape the gum line. They may also put stitches to hold the gum tissue in place. If your gums are receding, the dentist takes tissue from another part of your mouth and attaches it to the gums around the teeth with surgery to make the gum line longer and better.
The procedure can take different times depending on how much contouring and reshaping is needed. But you should be ready to stay at the dental office for about two hours.
Does Gum Contouring Hurt?
You get local anesthesia before the dentist does the procedure. The anesthesia helps numb your gums so you do not feel any pain when the dentist works on your mouth. But you may feel some soreness and numbness later.
The pain you feel from gum contouring depends on how much the procedure is done and how much gum tissue is removed or added. After the procedure, the dentist gives you painkillers, or you can buy painkillers at the store for relief. But you should not take aspirin because it makes your blood thin and can make you bleed more.
How to Take Care of Your Gums After Gum Contouring
The gum contouring surgery in Vancouver does not need a lot of time to recover, but healing from the procedure can take a few days or weeks, depending on how much the procedure is done. But you may have to stop some activities for a couple of days depending on how sore you feel and how you feel.
Your mouth and gums may feel sensitive or sore, so you should eat soft foods for at least 72 hours after the surgery. You can eat foods like soups, yogurt, applesauce, and Jell-O. Your dentist gives you instructions on what to eat and what not to eat after the procedure. The dentist also gives you an antibiotic mouthwash to lower the chance of infections.
You should see the dentist for a check-up a week or a few days after the surgery. The check-up is to look at your gums and see how they are healing and look for signs of infections.
Gum contouring, also known as gingival sculpting, is a procedure that changes your gum line. Gum contouring is often used for cosmetic reasons, but it can also help change your gums if you have gum disease.
If you feel you can benefit from gum contouring for any of the reasons above, please make an appointment with Phoenix Dental Implant and Invisalign Centre in Vancouver, BC, to change the shape of your gums or fix them as needed.