Periodontists are often considered the plastic surgeons of dentistry. If you are looking to improve your smile, Drs. Ira Levenson and Lori Little-Levenson may be able to help.
Gummy Smile or Uneven Gumline
Do you feel your teeth look too short and your smile is too gummy. Do your gums cover too much of some teeth while leaving the others the right length? If so, esthetic crown lengthening might be the solution for you. During this procedure, excess gum tissue is removed to expose more of the crown of the tooth. Then your gum line is sculpted to give your new smile just the right look. Drs. Ira and Lori can evaluate your smile and let you know if this is an option for you.
Long Teeth / Exposed Roots
Sometimes gum recession causes the tooth root to become exposed, which makes your teeth look long and can make you look older than you are. This recession can happen as a result of a variety of causes, including periodontal disease, aggressive brushing habits, clenching and grinding, crowding, misaligned teeth, muscle attachment pull, use of smokeless tobacco and oral piercings.
Gum graft surgery and other root coverage procedures are designed to cover exposed roots (when possible), to reduce further gum recession, to protect the remaining supporting bone, and to help protect vulnerable roots from decay. Periodontal (gum) plastic surgery can also help with an unesthetic smile line.
Jawbone Resorption Following Extractions
Tooth loss can cause an indentation in the gum and jawbone where the tooth used to be. This happens because the jawbone resorbs when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. Not only is this indention unnatural looking, it also can cause the replacement tooth/teeth to look too long compared to the adjacent teeth and can cause a change in your speech.
Ridge preservation/augmentation is a procedure that is used to prevent the jawbone resorption following extractions. This procedure can fill in this defect recapturing the natural contour of the gums and jaw. A new tooth/teeth can then be created that is natural looking, easy to clean and beautiful. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034514541127
