Many people thinking having a smile makeover will only include their teeth. However, your gums form an important part of your smile. Ideally, you should show a minimal amount of gum whenever you smile or talk. The gum tissue that is visible should nicely frame your teeth.

Healthy gums are pale pink and are firm to the touch. They have an almost lightly stippled appearance and should fit snugly around your teeth.

So, what kind of problems could indicate you need to visit a dentistry Brooklyn. Or, think about having a smile makeover for your gums?

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is also called gum disease it is an extremely destructive bacterial infection. If you have gum disease, it’s likely your gums will no longer be a nice healthy pink color. Instead, they could look red and puffy, they may well feel tender if you press them lightly. Instead of fitting tightly around your teeth, your gums could well look as if they have begun to recede. This is a real problem for the appearance of your teeth, not to mention their health.

When gums recede, they expose more of the tooth and eventually the tooth root. Thus, your teeth look unnaturally long. At the same time, your teeth are likely to become less stable and this is because receding gums let bacteria get right into the gum tissue and into the other structures surrounding the teeth that include ligaments and bone.

In advanced gum disease or periodontitis, these structures are gradually destroyed. Unfortunately, periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss and it does require specialized care from a dentistry Brooklyn.

Gum Treatments for Periodontal Disease

Before we can think about improving appearance of gums, it’s important to treat the active periodontal disease. There are many specialized treatments available and which aim to eliminate or control the bacterial infection in the gums.

Treatment may involve a combination of nonsurgical and surgical procedures to help remove bacteria and any unhealthy tissues that are too badly damaged to heal. Often a specialist at dentistry Brooklyn will use a dental laser. The laser energy helps to sterilize treated areas, reducing the risk of reinfection.

Sometimes treatment may be ongoing as patients often need to follow a periodontal maintenance plan to keep their gums healthy and strong. Once your gum disease is controlled, dentistry Brooklyn specialists will be able to suggest the most suitable treatments to help repair the damage caused to the gum tissues.

Gum Grafting

There are several different types of gum grafting techniques that can be used to help restore lost gum tissue. The gum tissue used during this procedure is taken from another location in your mouth so it can be grafted into place.

Sometimes the graft is taken from the roof of the mouth. It is removed completely, or if there is sufficient tissue, it can be taken from the gums nearby to the deficient area. For this technique, the gum tissue is left attached at one end and is carefully stretched across and stitched into place.

Advantages of Gum Grafts

As well as creating a nicer appearance, gum grafting can help to improve dental health. Covering up exposed tooth roots prevents feelings of tooth sensitivity, while it also helps to prevent tooth decay from developing in the tooth roots. A gum graft can have a stabilizing effect on a tooth and could potentially prevent tooth loss.

Having a Gummy Smile

A gummy smile is the opposite problem to periodontal disease. Instead of gum tissue being destroyed, the gums are covered up with an excess of gum tissue. This has the effect of making the teeth look too short. People with a gummy smile will show far too much gum tissue whenever they smile or talk. Underneath the gums, the teeth may be a perfectly normal length.

Treatments for a Gummy Smile

Firstly, a specialist at dentistry Brooklyn will need to determine the reason for a gummy smile. Although, it is often caused by an excess of gum tissue, it can also be due to the muscles in the upper lip being overactive. Thus, pulling the lip up too far during smiling or talking. It could also be due to the way the upper jawbone has developed. If the problem is due to an excess of tissue, then treatment is very straightforward.

Treating a Gummy Smile with Laser Dentistry

Dentistry Brooklyn specialists has an advanced dental laser that can comfortably and accurately remove excess gum tissue. Before treatment, they will determine exactly how much gum tissue needs to be removed to create a more aesthetically pleasing smile. There are lots of advantages of choosing laser dentistry for this kind of treatment.

Firstly, a dental laser is incredibly accurate, allowing a specialist to remove precisely the right amount of gum tissue. Secondly, treatment is far more comfortable. With a dental laser, the laser energy quickly seals any small blood vessels that may be cut during treatment, minimizing bleeding so healing is far quicker and more comfortable. Other side effects such as swelling are also reduced so treatment is far more pleasant.

Another treatment for correcting a gummy smile is called crown lengthening. This also exposes more of the natural tooth structure by removing excess gum tissue. It is often used in preparation for dental crowns and veneers.

By uncovering more of the natural tooth structure, a specialist will be able to create a more beautiful smile. This treatment is also very good if a tooth has broken off near the gum line. Exposing more of the tooth will allow the successful placement of a crown while creating a more cosmetically pleasing effect.

If you think your gums could benefit from a smile makeover, it’s well worth seeing a specialist at dentistry Brooklyn. There are lots of different ways they can help you and at the same time it’s likely they can improve your gum health.

Although it’s lovely to have a beautiful smile, you do need healthy gums to support your teeth. A specialist will make sure your gums look aesthetically pleasing and most importantly that they are strong and disease free.