The Impact of Gums on Smile

If we were to think of teeth as a beautiful picture, the gums could be analogized to be their frame. Therefore, deformed gums and tissues preserving the teeth can profoundly impact the beauty of a smile. While healthy and normal gums are pink in color, strong in texture, and without any bleeding, diseased gums are red, swollen, and bleeding with loose teeth.

 

Diseased gum

Healthy gums

 

Gum diseases are mainly caused by lack of hygiene but hereditary conditions and other general ailments can also be contributory. Aside from periodontal diseases, the major gum problems which can be attended to through cosmetic dentistry are described below.

Before

After

Gum Recession

Oral health awareness has nowadays been raised among the general public and people tend to look after their teeth more. Consequently, they maintain their teeth to a higher age. At the same time, severe and frequent brushing of the teeth damages the gums and causes them to gradually recede. Accordingly, the height of the teeth would grow in appearance as the surface of the roots becomes exposed. This may cause sensitivity of teeth towards the heat and the cold and also encourage decay of the roots. The treatment plan for gum recession is grafting and other means of gum restoration surgery.

Before

After

 

Cervical Abrasion

Severe and horizontal brushing of the teeth sometimes causes attrition of the outside surfaces of the teeth, i.e. cervical abrasion, thus causing recession. When this recession is limited and there is no sensitivity felt, there is no need for professional treatment and only the brushing technique should be corrected and the premature contact of the teeth adjusted. However, when these disorders are extended in size and depth, they should be filled with materials such as composite.

Cervical abrasion is at times the result of ingesting acidic materials such as lemon juice and pickles or suffering from gastric problems and reflux (i.e. a reverse flow of gastric fluid to the mouth). Indeed, the cause of the deterioration of the tooth tissues in such cases is the chemical decomposition of the tooth enamel. The treatment plan recommended here is decreasing the ingestion of acidic materials, treating gastric disorders, and ultimately restoring the cavities created through composite fillings.

 

Before

After

 

Gummy Smile

There are individuals whose gum tissues become displayed as they smile. The cause of this could be their upper gum being long, their upper lip being short, or their teeth being short. Maxillofacial surgery is the treatment for more extreme cases while gum surgery can resolve less severe cases. To correct the length of short teeth, the patient’s gum can be first lifted higher through surgery followed by porcelain laminate or composite fillings.

If the gums were higher or lower around one or several teeth compared to the other teeth, gum surgery is required before cosmetic and restorative treatments to have the gum fixed in its right position.

 

Before

After

 

Treating Gum Diseases

Diseases of gums and the tissues surrounding the teeth should be attended to by a gum specialist (i.e. periodontist). The first stage of the treatment would be cleaning and oral health training. Should the patient carry out these instructions appropriately and brush, floss, and use antibacterial mouth wash regularly, chances are that further treatment would not be necessary.

 

Nevertheless, the periodontist might feel that the existing conditions call for surgery to prevent loosening and loss of teeth. Following the surgery of gums, the teeth appear longer and their gaps are slightly increased which could be filled with composite to give the teeth a pleasant look.