Soft Tissue Contouring in Houston, TX
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Have you ever looked at your smile and thought, “something doesn’t look right”? For thousands of people, this is the case. While they may have great-looking teeth, they may have excess gum tissue that makes their teeth look different than what you would expect. This excess gum tissue covering the tooth’s surface is a medical condition that your dentist can treat. While it is not mandatory, and the excess tissue will not impact your eating ability, it impacts how we feel about ourselves and our ability to smile confidently.
The answer is a procedure known as soft tissue contouring. Soft tissue contouring allows the dentist to gently reshape the gum line to expose more of the surface of the teeth and give you a more even-looking smile.
How Does Soft Tissue Contouring Work?
Soft tissue contouring may sound complicated, but the procedure is fairly routine and can be done in a single visit, right in the dental chair. There’s no need for special preparation, and apart from a little sensitivity, you won’t need to be worried about recovery time after the procedure either.
The way the process works, the dentist examines your teeth, determines where the tissue is overgrown, and then works to remove it and make all of your teeth exposed evenly. Removing the gum tissue can either be done by hand, with your dentist using traditional dental tools, or via a special dental laser that cuts and contours the gum line to a specific fit.
The gums are shaved down to expose more of the tooth, which in the case of most patients, makes their smile look more natural and shows a fuller, more tooth smile. The most effective method is to use a laser to reshape the gum line, reexamine the mouth, and then finish off any extra contouring necessary to create the desired effect that the patient wants, all without ever leaving the dentist’s chair.