Too Much Gum, Not Enough Smile
A "gummy smile" occurs when excess gum tissue partially covers the crowns of the front teeth, making them appear short and square even when the underlying tooth structure is perfectly healthy. This condition — known as altered passive eruption — is a developmental variation where the gum line simply did not recede to its proper level during growth.
The result is a smile where patients feel self-conscious about showing too much gum and too little tooth. This disproportion cannot be corrected with orthodontics, whitening, or veneers alone. The root cause is the gum and bone position — and that requires a surgical solution.
Aesthetic crown lengthening is one of the most transformative procedures in periodontal surgery. By precisely removing excess gum and reshaping the underlying bone, the teeth are revealed at their proper proportions — creating a confident, balanced smile that is permanent.
How We Reshape Your Smile
Aesthetic crown lengthening is a single outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. Using precise digital planning, the periodontist sculpts the gum and bone to reveal the ideal tooth proportions — results that are immediately visible and stable for life.
- 1
Smile Design Planning
Measurements of the gum levels, tooth proportions, and desired outcome are mapped digitally to plan the exact amount of tissue removal for ideal aesthetics and biological width.
- 2
Local Anesthesia
The treatment area is thoroughly numbed. Sedation is available for patients who prefer additional comfort during the procedure.
- 3
Gum Contouring & Flap Reflection
Precise incisions are made to sculpt the gum line symmetrically, and the tissue is gently reflected to expose the underlying bone.
- 4
Osseous Recontouring
The supporting bone is carefully reshaped to establish the correct biological width and ensure the new gum margin is stable long-term — not just aesthetically correct at first, but permanently.
- 5
Suturing & Healing
The gum tissue is repositioned at the ideal level and sutured. Full tissue maturation takes 3–6 months — the optimal time to place final veneers, crowns, or professional photography.
Benefits of Aesthetic Crown Lengthening
- Transforms a gummy smile into a balanced, proportionate one
- Permanent results from a single outpatient procedure
- Creates the ideal foundation for veneers or cosmetic crowns
- Improves symmetry and harmony across the entire smile line
- Performed comfortably under local anesthesia
- Corrects a disproportion that no other cosmetic procedure can fix
- Results are immediately visible and continue to refine as tissue matures
