What can I expect during gum contouring in Singapore?

Thank you for your question regarding gum contouring.

Gum contouring, as previously described by Dr Kenneth, Dr Kelvin, and Dr Gerald are usually carried out for aesthetic purposes, or for restorative purposes.

There is often an ideal golden proportions in most things around us, like how a building requires certain basic structural proportions for it to be stable, or how our nose is in relation to our head. Likewise, there is also an ideal proportion for our teeth in relation to the amount of gums that are being perceived by others.

The process that we often use, as perfectly described by Dr Gerald, is the Digital Smile Design.

Gum contouring can also be carried out for restorative purposes. These are usually carried out when the tooth is very badly broken down. In order to save the tooth, we would remove the gums (maybe bone) to ensure there is sufficient exposed tooth structure before we restore the tooth back to normal function.

Both of these procedures can be carried out surgically by the scalpel, or by dental lasers nowadays.

In addition to what has already been described wonderfully by my colleagues, I am wondering if your current question has any links to your previous one regarding your concern about your “gums starting to cover your teeth, especially around the 2 teeth affected that had rubber bands attached close to the gap after the extraction?”

I hope all these would help in allaying your concerns you may have regarding gum contouring.

Best Regards

Dr Ooi

Happy Chinese New Year Greetings to you! Thank you for your question regarding Gum Contouring. Dr Kelvin Chua and Dr Kenneth Tan have both answered very well, and I would like to add on to what they have already mentioned in their replies.

From my experience, gum contouring is usually done for aesthetic purposes to reduce the appearance of " gummy smiles" and to enable patients to smile more confidently, showing more teeth and less gums.

Gum contouring can also be done for patients who are unhappy with gums that appear asymmetrical or uneven. There is always beauty in teeth and gum symmetry, and a good dentist will usually plan for a symmetrical result during the assessment phase of your treatment.

It is often more pleasant to have a smile that shows teeth more fully, rather than to be dominated by too much gums showing.

Depending on the treatment plan that will be tailored for you, the dentist may plan to do gum contouring for one tooth, or several teeth.

In my practice, before we decide on how many teeth would require the gum contouring, my patients go through a process called Digital Smile Design.

During this process, patients get to see a 3D Virtual Preview on a computer screen of the final result and planned gum height before any surgery is done at all!

We then transfer this virtual preview into the patients mouth, using a resin material as a mock-up, for his/her final approval in the mirror, to minimise disappointment and unmet expectations.

In my opinion, the most important phase of the gum contouring surgery, is this treatment planning or preview phase, which allows all my patients to get a chance to appreciate the final planned result, before executing the treatment proper.

The typical fee for gum contouring surgery could cost anywhere from $500 to $2500, depending on the complexity of the surgery and the number of teeth involved.

It is beyond the scope of my reply to discuss with you factors that might affect the difficulty or complexity of your case.

With regards to the surgery itself and what to expect after the surgery, Dr Kelvin and Dr Kenneth have answered well.

I hope you find all of our answers useful, and do discuss some of these pointers with your trusted dentist!

Kind Regards,

Dr Gerald Tan

Hi, prior to gum contouring, your dentist will analyse your smile, and see how much gum contouring can improve the problem of a gummy smile.

After which, the dimension of the teeth will be measured to decide how gum should be contoured.

Gum contouring is normally a 1-2 hours procedure, unless bone needs to be removed, which may then take up to 3-4 hours. It is usually done under local anaesthetic, even though it can done under sedation.

The procedure can be done in the traditional way with a scalpel or with a dental laser. During the procedure, you shouldn't feel anything as the gum is numb. Most of the time there will be no suture, unless bone is removed.

If the procedure is done with a laser machine, patients can technically return to work on the same day. After the procedure, they will be advised to avoid hard and rough food like chips, sesame seeds, chilli seeds etc.

I once had a patient who went for a swim a day after the laser gum contouring, even though I wouldn't encourage it!

Hope that helps, and all the best to your gum contouring journey!

Kind regards,

Dr Kelvin Chua

Hi there! Hope this finds you well.

In my usual practice, during the initial consult, I will take some measurements on the teeth that I will be correcting, specifically the width of the tooth.

From that, I will derive the ideal length for that specific tooth if I were to follow the golden proportions. We have a fancy equation that we use for that. And with every diagnosis and treatment planning, we have to make sure that length is in congruent, or applicable to the specific individual through some planning in the mouth or with photos.

Gum recontouring traditionally was, and still is, sometimes carried out with a scalpel. However with the advent of technology especially in laser dentistry, it can be carried out with dental lasers. And because of the technology, I do see that patients have minimal discomfort, and can easily go back to their daily routine the very next day.

Even though discomfort is fairly minimal, I would still advise my patients:

• to be careful with the sites, and
• to brush them gently, and
• like what Dr Kelvin mentioned, to particularly avoid foods that are sharp and crunchy.

Cheers!

Kenneth