Gingivectomy

I just did the coolest procedure with the laser.  A twenty-two year old woman came in, complaining that her front teeth looked short.  And they did. My clinical examination indicated that the teeth themselves were normal in size (as opposed to the edges being ground off from a grinding habit), but that her gums just hung down too far.  Statistically, front teeth should have about 10-11mm of tooth structure showing.

Now, sometimes, if the tooth itself is short, either because of its inherent shape or a grinding habit, as I mentioned earlier, the boney socket under the gums has to be reduced, which is significantly more extensive.  This is not uncommonly part of the cosmetic veneers procedure, where we can make teeth appear longer, a more aesthetically pleasing look

But this was just a question of re-contouring soft tissue.

So, after some novocaine, we cranked up the soft-tissue laser (PerioLase by Millenium Dental), and re-sculpted her gums.  We only removed about one and one-half millimeters of gum tissue, but Geraldine’s teeth now look long and lovely, and she’s very pleased.

How simple. How atraumatic.  How dramatic.