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There are lots of options for treating a “gummy smile” including crown lengthening, Botox, orthodontic treatment, and more. Dr. Quintero can help you explore all of your options!
To begin the procedure, Dr. Quintero will clean and sanitize the treatment area. You’ll get a local anesthetic to numb the area, and sedation to help you relax and feel comfortable during your surgery.
Once your mouth is prepped and numb, Dr. Quintero will use special surgical instruments to remove gum tissue from around one or more of your teeth. Depending on the type of treatment, he also may need to remove and recontour some of the bone around the tooth.
Once the appropriate amount of tooth is exposed, Dr. Quintero will clean and sanitize the surgical area, then apply sutures to ensure that your gums heal properly.
Crown lengthening is an outpatient procedure, so you’ll go home right after treatment. Dr. Quintero will give you a set of instructions to follow as you recover. Make sure you follow his instructions, and come back to our office as scheduled for any follow-up appointments.
Functional crown lengthening is needed if you’re getting a dental crown, but your remaining tooth is too small and there is not enough length to hold the crown properly. If the tooth is too small, the crown will be unstable.
Esthetic lengthening is one treatment option for a “gummy smile.” If you have lots of gum tissue or small teeth, your smile may look unbalanced or uneven when you smile. This can make you feel self-conscious and uncomfortable when you smile, speak, or even eat around others.
The esthetic lengthening process is basically the same as functional lengthening. But instead of exposing more tooth material to place a crown, Dr. Quintero will expose more tooth material to create a more balanced, even, and esthetically-appealing smile.
Sedation can be used to control an overactive gag-reflex, fear of needles, or a low-pain threshold.
It usually takes 4-6 weeks for your gums to completely heal from crown lengthening. However, you won’t need to take more than a day or two off of work, and your mouth will be mostly healed within about two weeks. This is also when you’ll come back to Quintero Periodontics to have your sutures removed.
As long as you are healthy, do not have a history of drug abuse, and are not taking any medications that may interfere with the sedation process, you should be a good candidate for sedation dentistry. Contact us to learn more about your options, and to get the conversation started.
This depends on the method of sedation you choose. With laughing gas, you will feel light-headed, giggly, and relaxed, but you will be conscious and aware of your surroundings. You will also feel less discomfort during treatment.
Oral conscious sedation will usually make you feel groggy and “out of it”. You will likely fall asleep, and probably won’t remember much about your procedure. However, you will not be unconscious, and you can still be woken and respond to commands.
Yes. All methods of sedation dentistry are provided by qualified professionals at our office, and have minimal side effects. While deeper methods of sedation like oral conscious sedation have more prolonged side effects compared to laughing gas, they are still very safe, and they have no serious risks to your health or well-being if you are a good candidate for sedation.
Laughing gas is safe, effective, and has been used in dentistry since the late 19th century.
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