People say I have a gummy smile so I've stopped smiling in photos. Is there anything I can do?

It is one of the most common reasons people quietly stop smiling properly, and it is very often fixable. Come in and let Dr. Bodie look, because the treatment depends on whether it is your gums or your lip causing it.

My teeth look tiny. Does that mean I need veneers?

Possibly not. Teeth often look short because the gum sits low over them rather than because the teeth are small, and reshaping the gum line is far less invasive and far cheaper than veneers.

Is gum contouring surgery?

Not in the way you are imagining. There is no scalpel and no stitches; the laser reshapes the tissue and seals as it goes, and most people are back to normal within days.

Will my gums grow back over the teeth?

Healthy gums generally do not return to where they were, so the result is stable for most people. Keeping your gums healthy afterward is the part that protects it.

Can gum contouring be done at the same time as other treatment?

Often yes, and it is frequently part of a larger plan. If veneers or whitening are also on the table, the gum line is usually addressed first so everything is designed against the final shape.

Gummy Smile Treatment in Nyack, NY

Sometimes the teeth are fine and the gums are the problem

Gum contouring reshapes an uneven or low gum line so your teeth look their natural length, and gummy smile treatment settles a lip that rises too far when you smile. At our Nyack dental office both are done with the Fotona laser rather than a scalpel, so there is no cutting and no stitches.

When you just don’t like how your gums look

Two different complaints end up on this page. Some people have teeth that look short or uneven because the gum sits low over them, which laser contouring corrects by reshaping the gum line. Others have perfectly proportioned teeth but a lip that lifts high enough to show a band of gum when they smile, which is a lip problem rather than a gum one and is treated by repositioning the lip.

Why the laser changes the experience

The traditional versions of both treatments involved a scalpel and stitches, with the healing time that implies. The Fotona laser reshapes tissue and seals as it goes, which means less bleeding, quicker healing and minimal discomfort. It is the same laser Dr. Bodie uses for fillings and gum treatment, and he is trained on all of it.

Often the smallest change with the biggest effect

People arrive convinced they need veneers and leave having had their gum line evened out instead, because the teeth underneath were fine all along. It is worth having someone look before you commit to anything permanent, which is exactly what the free consultation is for. Patients come from West Nyack and across the county to our dental office for a second opinion on this alone.

How much does gummy smile treatment cost in Nyack, NY?

Cost depends on how many teeth are being reshaped and whether the treatment is gum contouring, lip repositioning, or both, so our Nyack dental office quotes it case by case rather than publishing a single figure. Your consultation is free and ends with a written number, and Affirm and HFD can spread it monthly.

What is gum contouring?

Gum contouring is the reshaping of the gum line so teeth appear their natural length and the gums sit evenly across the smile. It is done with a laser, removing or reshaping a small amount of gum tissue without cutting into it, and it changes nothing about the teeth themselves.

What causes a gummy smile?

A gummy smile usually comes from one of two things: gum tissue sitting low over teeth that are actually a normal length, or a lip that rises unusually high when you smile. The two need different treatments, which is why the assessment matters more than the procedure.

Does gum contouring hurt?

Gum contouring involves minimal discomfort and is done with local anesthetic. Because the laser seals tissue as it works, there is less bleeding than the scalpel version and no stitches, and most patients find the healing far easier than they expected.

How long does gum contouring take to heal?

Most people heal within a few days to a couple of weeks depending on how much tissue was reshaped. You will get simple instructions about eating and cleaning while it settles, and the change is visible immediately rather than developing over months.

Is gum contouring permanent?

Gum contouring is stable long term for most patients, because healthy gums do not simply regrow to where they were. Gum health afterward still matters, so keeping up with cleanings protects the result.

Gummy Smile Treatment and Gum Contouring in Nyack, NY