Sometimes soft tissue modification is needed to enhance your smile
Periodontal plastic surgery is a term used in reference to cosmetic procedures performed at Belle Meade Family Dentistry to enhance the appearance of an individual tooth or the entire smile. Many people feel they have small teeth and wish for a more attractive smile. In many cases a gum reduction treatment known as crown lengthening can be easily performed when too much tissue is covering the teeth. Soft tissue augmentation is also performed to move tissue heights to ideal locations to allow for beautiful restorations and is also used in situations where tissue removal is necessary to restore a badly decayed or broken tooth. If you feel that you may have a “gummy” smile, short teeth, broken or decayed teeth near the gumline, or you just want ideal tissue architecture framing your teeth, you might be a candidate for periodontal plastic surgery.
Esthetic Crown Lengthening for creating ideal tooth length and gingival levels”
When a patient feels that he/she has a “gummy” smile or short teeth, they may benefit from a procedure called esthetic crown lengthening. In the absence of significant wear, most patients do not actually have short teeth. Instead they have too much tissue surrounding the teeth. In many cases, the short teeth are caused by soft tissue and can easily be lengthened by using a painless non-invasive laser to create more longer, more cosmetic teeth. In some situations depending on where the bone sits around the neck of the tooth, bone may need to be slightly reduced to allow the tissue to rest over the tooth in the proper position. Drs. Pace, Sullivan, and Pace Jr. will thoroughly examine both the hard and soft tissues surrounding your teeth and determine the most appropriate treatment plan for each patient unhappy with the appearance of their smile. Painless, non-invasive measures using dental lasers will be employed to ensure a comfortable experience and as little discomfort possible following the procedures. Whether only one tooth needs treatment or the entire arch requires care, we hope to improve each smile in the most conservative manner possible.