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.
Book a consult30-180 mins
From $320
Gum contouring gives your teeth and gums a more aesthetic appearance by making your teeth look longer or by eliminating a ‘gummy’ smile.
We use digital planning utilising 3D technology combined with digital smile design principles to make the procedure even more accurate.
Gum contouring lasts a lifetime, so it’s a great option for long-term results.
In many cases we use laser to remove excess gum without the need for any stitches, ensuring a minimal recovery time.
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.
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.
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
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
Before/After
Before/After
Before/After
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.
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.
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.
A few weeks later, the gums are reviewed for complete healing and to ensure that the gums are healthy in their new position.
Disclaimer: Results may vary between individuals. Any dental procedure carries risks and benefits. All dental treatment information is provided for general information only. Any surgical or invasive procedure carry risk. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified practitioner.
Smile Gallery
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Gum Contouring and 10 Composite Bonding's
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Gum Contouring
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Gum Contouring and Composite Bonding's
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Gum Contouring, 1 Implant and 1 Dental Crown
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Gum Contouring
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Gum Contouring and Composite Bondings
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Gum Contouring and replacement of 2 Dental Crowns
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Gum Contouring
We’ve carefully curated our space to make the time you spend at Adawn as enjoyable, calming and comfortable as possible.
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.
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.
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.
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.
* 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.
We accept a variety of private health funds. Enter your health fund below to check that we accept yours.
Led by Dr Angelos Sourial, our team of dedicated professionals has over 65 years of combined expertise. It’s just one of the reasons why so many of our patients have stayed with us for decades.
“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
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Oral Wellness is the foundation of a healthy and beautiful smile, that lasts a lifetime. A healthy smile is an essential part of a healthy body, as the mouth is the gateway to the rest of our body. At Adawn, your Oral Wellness Visit is comprehensive and preventative- it includes a thorough dental check-up, teeth cleaning and screening to ensure your mouth receives the care it needs to remain healthy, fresh, beautiful and disease-free.
Dental implants are a strong and natural-looking replacement for missing teeth, that help you to eat and smile more confidently. Now the gold standard of replacing missing teeth, a dental implant mimics your natural tooth root, anchoring to your jawbone and providing a solid foundation for a ceramic crown or bridge to fill the space created by the missing tooth. Designed and executed by our expert dentist, Dr Angelos Sourial and crafted by a master ceramist, the replacement tooth is created to match your natural teeth. Therefore, restoring your smile to its natural aesthetic, as well as supporting you to enjoy the food you love once more.
Every day, our team of highly regarded cosmetic dentists complete beautiful, transformational Invisalign® treatments for our patients. Invisalign® is a series of customised, clear, removable aligners that are designed to gently straighten your smile with minimal discomfort, giving you a straighter smile, you will absolutely love. A straighter smile is a healthier smile!
A sparkling smile starts with gleaming white teeth. Our pain-free whitening treatment options improve the appearance of lacklustre teeth by removing stains that are locked into the enamel or the natural tooth structure. The professional process differs from whitening toothpastes, which only remove superficial stains. Deep set tea, coffee, or pasta sauce stains can be removed, making your smile look years younger. Choose your shade with one of our dental experts, then whiten your smile in chair or in the comfort of your own home.
