Q: My daughter has a lot of gum that shows when she smiles. I was told that she can have her gums cut around her teeth. Can this be done with your laser tech?
A: Yes, it is possible to perform this cosmetic gum surgery with the laser. It is also known as “soft tissue crown lengthening”, or sometimes just “crown lengthening”, and is one of the most common procedures we perform in our office. The laser is much less invasive than traditional surgery, but sometimes it must be performed traditionally, or in combination with the laser. If the bone has to be contoured, then “traditional” would definitely be in the mix. This would depend on the bone height and the establishment of the “biological width”, which is a scientific term that involves the height of the bone relative to the gum tissue height.
That is why an examination and x rays are critical before we can determine how we would do the procedure. The exam would include quality digital x rays to evaluate your daughter’s periodontal condition and confirm that the laser approach can be taken.
