Teeth are not the only things that make a smile great.
Gums can be a factor in a person’s smile, depending on how visible they are. Dentists can lighten gums to the liking of their patients, or cut away gummy smiles altogether. It is as scary as it sounds; or at least it used to be.
Seeing Gums
Prominent gums when smiling is a cause of embarrassment to the people who have these ‘horsy’ grins. Thankfully, gum lifts can provide troubled individuals a chance to correct their smile—but it does come with a bloody, painful price.
Let us calm you down first. Modern gum lifts are far safer, cleaner and faster than the scary whittling procedure first conducted during the late 1980s. We use accurate lasers to shape the gums of our patients seamlessly and with minimal bleeding, so there is no need to be afraid anymore. But, enough of our procedure; let us delve into the 1980s horror show you came here to read about.
Seeing Red
Gum lifts, or crown lengthening, was one of those dental procedures that fuelled the 20th century fear of going to the dentist. It was a very disconcerting procedure, yet the science behind it is solid and its effectiveness was undeniable to anyone willing to engage in a short-term relationship with oral painkillers.
We admit, taking a scalpel to a patient’s gum line sounds, medieval, to say the least. The invasiveness of the procedure would depend on the size of your teeth. Dentists would chip away at the bone beneath the cut gums in order to keep large teeth from appearing even larger. A level of stitching is required to prevent the gums from growing back, and yes—a lot of blood is involved. Not to mention some swelling and post-surgery bleeding episodes.
So, should you get a gum lift? Today, there is no excuse not to. Gum lifts are now more advanced and clinical. Just like how the white fillings replaced the silver ones, this is one very graphic instance of how dental practice continues to improve. If you have a gummy smile that you want to correct, thank your lucky stars that the laser is now here, and you can flash your pearly whites without having to stain them crimson first.
For all your non-scary dental needs, just contact Harley Street Dental Clinic.