Cosmetic Care
Gum Contouring
Sometimes the teeth are the right size and it is the gum line that is doing the damage.
What it is
A smile is a frame as much as a set of teeth. Where the gum sits too low, or at different heights on either side, the teeth read as short and uneven even when they are neither.
We measure the gum line against your lip, your midline and the proportions of the teeth themselves before proposing anything, because the correct answer is sometimes orthodontics or lip repositioning rather than gum surgery. Where contouring is right, we plan it against the underlying bone so the tissue stays where we put it.
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic and most people describe it as pressure rather than pain. Healing takes a couple of weeks, and we wait for the tissue to mature fully before any veneers or bonding are made to the new line.
Included
What this
involves
Everything below is carried out here, by the clinician who planned it. Anything not on this list is either not needed or will be discussed with you before it is booked.
- Smile-line and lip-dynamics assessment
- Digital preview of the proposed line
- Precise soft-tissue contouring
- Crown lengthening where bone is involved
- Healing review before cosmetic work
- Local anaesthetic, sedation if preferred
The aim is a smile nobody compliments on the dentistry — only on how well you look.
Common questions
Good To Know
- Is it painful?
- The procedure itself is done under local anaesthetic and is generally comfortable. Expect tenderness for a few days afterwards, manageable with ordinary painkillers.
- Will the gum grow back?
- Where the contouring is planned against the underlying bone, the result is stable. Reshaping soft tissue alone without that planning is what leads to rebound.
- Can it be done at the same time as veneers?
- Planned together, yes — but we let the gum mature for several weeks before the definitive veneers are made, so the margins sit correctly.
More in this area
Cosmetic Care
Porcelain Veneers
Thin ceramic facings for shape, colour and proportion — trialled before they are made.
Learn MoreTeeth Whitening
Supervised whitening that lifts the shade without lifting the sensitivity.
Learn MoreComposite Bonding
Chips, gaps and worn edges rebuilt in tooth-coloured composite, usually in one visit.
Learn More
Considering gum contouring?
Come in for a consultation. We will examine, explain and give you a written plan with a price against every item — then you decide, in your own time.