Reshaping a gummy smile

Where the gum sits low over the teeth, the teeth look short and the smile reads as gummy — even when the teeth themselves are a good shape and colour.

Reshaping the gum line exposes the tooth that was already there. Nothing is added and the teeth are not altered; what changes is how much of each tooth shows and whether the margins run evenly from one tooth to the next.

A note on the photographs: the treated tissue looks red and may show some bleeding in the earlier image. That is expected during and immediately after gum work, and it settles as the tissue heals — the healed result is what the second image shows.

Drag the handle to compare. Shared with the patient's consent.