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Gum Contouring

A beautiful and natural smile involves a combination of the teeth, gums and lips being in harmony with one another. The appearance of your gums is extremely important and influences the size and shape of your teeth. For people with a gummy smile, gum contouring can lengthen the teeth and even out your gum line, framing your teeth and enhancing your smile. With minimal discomfort, gum contouring gently removes the excess gums to reveal more of your natural teeth. The results are instantly visible and will make an enormous difference to your smile and confidence. The great news is that it is a one-off procedure with permanent results.

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Duration

30-180 mins

Pricing

From $320

A new dawn for cosmetic dentistry.

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Aesthetic smile

Gum contouring gives your teeth and gums a more aesthetic appearance by making your teeth look longer or by eliminating a ‘gummy’ smile.

Precise

We use digital planning utilising 3D technology combined with digital smile design principles to make the procedure even more accurate.

Long lasting

Gum contouring lasts a lifetime, so it’s a great option for long-term results.

Minimally invasive

In many cases we use laser to remove excess gum without the need for any stitches, ensuring a minimal recovery time.

What are the causes of a gummy smile?

There are several reasons why someone may have excessive gum display. The most common reasons are either a short or overactive upper lip which can be treated using facial injectables.

In other cases, however, the lips and teeth may be in the right position, but the gums are too thick, resulting in short teeth that look squarish. This is called ‘altered passive eruption’ and is due to the gums not moving upwards towards their natural position during growth and thereby covering some of the natural enamel underneath. There is often a genetic tendency to this condition.

Finally in some situations, people may have short teeth and a gummy smile due to wearing of the teeth because of teeth clenching or grinding. Each cause has a specific treatment and so it is important that your treating dentist performs a thorough analysis to determine the correct diagnosis and treatment for your condition.

What is it?

A gum lift is a cosmetic dental procedure that sculpts and raises the gum-line. This procedure makes the smile more aesthetically pleasing by reshaping the tissue and/or underlying bones to create longer or symmetrical teeth. There are two types of gum lift procedures: laser or surgical gum contouring. It is vital that you have a thorough consultation to determine which procedure is suited to you.

Laser gum reduction (Gingivectomy)

A low frequency laser is used to reshape and remove the extra gum tissue, increasing the amount of tooth structure exposed and creating a better tooth to gum proportion. Performed under local anaesthetic the procedure is minimally invasive and the healing is quick with no stitches required and usually no bruising or swelling. Book a consult

Surgical gum reduction (Aesthetic Crown Lengthening)

Sometimes a surgical gum contouring is required, as using laser alone would make the new gum-line too close to the bone. Performed under local anaesthetic, a surgical gum reduction involves accessing the area below the gumline and increasing the amount of tooth structure exposed, usually by modifying the surrounding bone and tissue, effectively lengthening the tooth. The area is sutured and required to heal and when skilfully performed, it results in a permanent improvement and optimal appearance of your smile. Book a consult

What does it treat?

Before/After

Before/After

Before/After

A new beginning 
for you and your smile.

Any Time

Cosmetic Consultation

2 weeks

Gum Contouring Procedure

4 weeks

Review

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How we provide this service

Step One - Cosmetic Consultation

We get to know you and your smile by taking photos, x-rays, and a 3D digital photographic scan of your mouth, as well as a video of you talking and smiling from different angles. We also undertake a thorough examination of your teeth and gums. This becomes the basis of our full smile analysis.

Sometimes during this appointment, a 3D x-ray called a CBCT is required to determine exactly where the jawbone is relative to the gums so that we can recommend the right type of gummy smile treatment for you. This x-ray can be taken on-site, and we can inform you straight away of what your options and estimated fees will be.

Step Two - Smile Design Analysis

We digitise your smile and perform a smile design analysis so that we can provide you with a digital before and after of what your new smile will look like after the gum lift procedure.

Step Three - Gum Contouring Procedure

We perform the gummy smile treatment by removing the excess gum tissue under local anaesthetic to achieve ideal gum display and tooth proportions when smiling.

Step Four - Review

A few weeks later, the gums are reviewed for complete healing and to ensure that the gums are healthy in their new position.

The Suite

We’ve carefully curated our space to make the time you spend at Adawn as enjoyable, calming and comfortable as possible.

Safety First

A safer way to care for you

Above all else, safety is our priority.

While some industries are adjusting to a New Normal of safety measures, they’ve always been normal for us. After every patient, each of our clinical rooms is sanitised and our equipment sterilised. Our team also wears enhanced PPE (gloves, masks and protective eyewear), undergoes daily health checks and laundry service, and our COVID Safe plan is always up to date in line with Victorian Department of Health requirements.

Cutting edge technology

The technology available can completely change the patient experience and so we invest in the best. The state of the art equipment we have in house means we can craft finer restorations, detect problems earlier, reduce treatment time and even create custom appliances when we need to.

Designed for comfort

Going to the dentist can be uncomfortable and intimidating. It may even make you anxious. At Adawn, you are always in control of your experience. We have several options available to help our patients feel as comfortable as possible from Netflix and noise cancelling headphones, head rests and blankets, right through to sedation or general anaesthetic. We’re not comfortable unless you are.

Trial your smile

We know that some dental procedures can be a significant investment for most people. That’s why we use industry leading digital planning software that allows you to trial your smile before committing.

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Cost for each type of procedure

Laser Gum Contouring

$320*

One-time payment of $320 per tooth*

Surgical Gum Contouring

$450*

One-time payment of $450 per tooth*

What's included

Cosmetic consultation

Valued $95

Records Collection

Valued at $180

Digital Smile Design

Valued at $300

Review

FREE

Total Value $575

* OPG and CBCT x-rays are not included in this fee, as they are only required in some situations. You will be informed about this by your dental professional and quoted at the time, if they are required for any reason. An OPG x-ray is $137 and a CBCT is $360.

Check that we accept your health fund

We accept a variety of private health funds. Enter your health fund below to check that we accept yours.

  • HCF
  • Australian Unity
  • Australian Unity
  • Medibank – Private
  • NIB Health Funds
  • ACA Health Benefits Fund
  • Australian Unity
  • HIF
  • CBHS Health Fund
  • AHM
  • HBF
  • Peoplecare
  • Navy Health
  • Defence Health
  • CUA
  • Police Health
  • TUH
  • Uni Health
  • Rail and Transport Health Fund
  • Doctors health fund
  • Healthcare insurance
  • Nurses Midwives health
  • ADF Family health
  • Westfund
  • Frank Health Insurance
  • Queensland Country Health Fund
  • Phoenix Health Fund
  • Teachers Health
  • Reserve Bank Health Society
  • Health.com.au
  • GMHBA
  • Emergency Services Health
  • One Medi Fund
  • CBHS Corporate Health
  • Suncorp
  • Territory health Fund
  • Qantas Insurance
  • AAMI
  • Mildura Health Fund
  • Health partners
  • AIA Health Insurance
  • Union Health
  • Latrobe Health Services
  • Transport Health

Meet Melbourne’s
gummy smile expert

“When we admire a beautiful smile, it’s because the lips, gums and teeth are all in harmony with one another. My goal is to try and replicate that for my patients to bring out the best in their smile.”

DR ANGELOS SOURIAL, PRINCIPAL DENTIST

  • Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Distinction
    University of Otago, 2004
  • Postgraduate Diploma of Clinical Dentistry (Implants)
    University of Melbourne 2010
  • Current President of the prestigious Australasian Osseointegration Society (Victoria)
  • Facilitator of SPEAR Education Study Club, Melbourne since 2016
  • Published in New Zealand Medical Journal, 2004
  • Fellow of the prestigious Pierre Faurchard Academy in recognition of his leadership and service to the dental community.
  • Digital Smile Design Master, 2023
  • Class of the World's Top Doctors, 2024

Frequently asked questions

How do I know what kind of treatment I need for my gummy smile?

There are about 7 different reasons why people can have a gummy smile. It is vital that your dentist understands the exact reason(s) for your gummy smile to provide the most effective and long-lasting treatment. At Adawn, we conduct a smile assessment involving a full facial and smile analysis, as well as measurements around the lips and gums and often x-rays of the jawbones underneath the gums to identify how much tooth structure there is to uncover. Once Dr. Angelos Sourial has analysed all these factors he will be able to advise you of the exact diagnosis and the preferred treatment.

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Is a gum lift procedure harmful for my teeth?

Most people that have a gum lift do so to uncover more of their natural enamel that is hidden underneath the excess gum tissue. By contouring the gums, we are exposing that tooth structure that nature had intended to be showing. During the consultation process we perform an analysis so that we know exactly where the roots are so that we are only exposing the enamel and not the roots. Therefore, because only excess gum and bone tissue is removed, a gum lift is not harmful at all as there is plenty of gum and bone covering the rest of the tooth.

Will my teeth look too big if I have a gum lift?

When we perform a gum lift, we improve the proportion and size of the tooth. We can remove the excess gums to make a tooth that looks small and squarish appear long and rectangular so that it is in harmony with the shape of your face. Sometimes this can look quite different to what you are used to initially, however it is the actual shape and size of your natural tooth, and it only takes a few days for you to get used to and appreciate the beautiful size and length of your real teeth. On the rare occasion that the teeth are naturally too long, we will discover this during your smile analysis and digital smile design and treatment plan to reduce the amount of gum we remove.

How long will it take for my gums to heal?

The gums will only take 3-4 days to heal after a laser gum contouring and about 2 weeks following a surgical gum reduction. Patients who have the surgical procedure are usually swollen for 3-4 days and we recommend that they keep to light duties for the first 48 hours. Complete recovery is dependent on each patient.

Do gums grow back after laser surgery?

No. If the correct type of gum lift treatment is performed, then it is unlikely that the gums will grow back. In the rare occasion that the gums do grow back slightly then a minor laser revision procedure can be performed.

Is laser gum surgery covered by health insurance?

We accept all private health funds. Coverage differs between health funds. We highly recommend that you ask your fund directly. Gum laser surgery is claimed under number 231 – Gingivectomy per tooth and Crown Lengthening is under number 238 per tooth.

Does a gum lift hurt?

Gum laser contouring is most often pain free, whereas there may be some mild pain following the surgical gum reduction. Both procedures you will be given local anaesthetic and provided with soundproof headphones and your favourite shows to ensure that you are completely comfortable and pain-free during the procedure. Although there can be some tenderness and discomfort after the numbing wears off, there should not be any pain experienced. We will recommend regular over the counter pain relief medication, as required.

Do you do gum grafts?

Yes. Gum grafts are used to treat gum recession which is the opposite of a gummy smile. In cases where the gums are thin or receded, a gum graft may be used to repair the receded gum and return it back to its original position. The gum graft may either be a synthetic graft, or gum taken from another part of the mouth to cover the area of gum recession. Dr. Angelos has a strong interest in this area and has performed many of these procedures with excellent results. To chat to him about a gum graft please telephone to book a cosmetic consultation with him.

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39 Nicholson St,
Brunswick East VIC 3057

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