Gum Contouring
Teaneck, NJ & Roselle, NJ
 If your smile shows more gum than tooth when you smile, or your gum line is uneven across your front teeth, gum contouring at RJ Dental in Teaneck and Roselle, NJ reshapes the gum tissue with a soft tissue laser to give you a more balanced, proportioned smile. Gum contouring is a soft-tissue-only procedure performed with a laser in a single appointment. We use it for mild aesthetic gum line corrections; cases involving the underlying bone require a different procedure called crown lengthening.
The procedure is sometimes called a gum lift, gingival contouring, or gum reshaping. The result is the same: removing or reshaping a small amount of gum tissue to expose more of the natural tooth or to even out an asymmetrical gum line. The work takes 30 to 60 minutes for most patients, and recovery is short.
Gum contouring sits in our cosmetic dentistry cluster of services. It’s commonly part of a broader smile makeover that includes veneers or whitening, but it can also stand alone as a single-procedure improvement. The right approach for your case depends on what specifically about your smile you want to change, and whether the underlying bone position needs to be adjusted along with the gum tissue.
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What Is Gum Contouring?
Gum contouring is the cosmetic reshaping of the gum line using a soft tissue laser. The procedure removes or recontours a small amount of gum tissue to expose more of the underlying tooth, even out an asymmetrical gum line, or refine the proportion between gum and tooth visible when you smile. The bone underneath the gum stays untouched.
Most patients are good candidates if their case is mild to moderate and primarily aesthetic. Severe gummy smiles caused by skeletal structure or by bone position too high relative to the teeth need a different procedure (crown lengthening) that adjusts both the gum and the underlying bone. Trying to fix a bone-level issue with gum-only contouring gives a temporary result, because the gum tissue tends to grow back to its natural position over months when the bone underneath wasn’t adjusted.
How Soft Tissue Laser Contouring Works
The soft tissue laser is a focused beam of light that vaporizes a thin layer of gum tissue at a precise depth. Compared to a scalpel approach, the laser causes less bleeding (the heat seals small blood vessels as it cuts), reduces swelling, and tends to give a faster recovery. The laser also lets us shape the new gum margin with finer control than scalpel work allows, which matters when the goal is symmetry across multiple teeth.
Gum Contouring vs. Crown Lengthening
The line between the two procedures is bone. Gum contouring works on the soft tissue only and is the right call when your bone position is fine but the gum tissue is too low (covering more tooth than it should) or uneven across teeth. Crown lengthening adjusts both the gum and the underlying bone, and is necessary when the bone is too high relative to where the gum line should sit, or when long-term tissue stability matters because the new margin will support a future restoration.
At the consultation, we use cone beam imaging to evaluate the bone position around the affected teeth. The scan tells us definitively which procedure your case actually calls for. Recommending the more involved crown lengthening when gum contouring would do isn’t useful to you, and recommending gum contouring when the bone really needs adjustment gives a temporary result that fades.
Who’s a Good Candidate (and Who Isn’t)
Good candidates for gum contouring typically have mild to moderate uneven gum lines across visible teeth, front teeth that look short or square because of excess gum coverage, or a gummy smile caused by gum tissue position rather than skeletal structure. Healthy gums and no active periodontal disease are baseline requirements.
Gum contouring is not the right approach for severe gummy smiles caused by upper-jaw skeletal proportions, cases where the underlying bone is too high (those need crown lengthening), patients with active gum disease (which has to be treated first), or patients planning veneers where the new restoration heights need to be designed against a bone-level adjusted gum margin.
Your Gum Contouring Doctor in Teaneck and Roselle
Dr. Jeannine Stephenson-Buffong leads gum contouring at RJ Dental. She earned her dental degree from Tufts University and completed her general practice residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She is laser certified, and laser dentistry is a named area of her practice. More on her bio.
Gum contouring is one of several procedures she performs with the soft tissue laser. The same laser system supports other laser dentistry treatments across the practice. Regular use across multiple procedure types makes the precision required for cosmetic gum work routine.
The Gum Contouring Procedure, Step by Step
Gum contouring is a single-appointment procedure that takes 30 to 60 minutes for most patients, with minor single-tooth corrections sometimes finishing in 15 to 20 minutes. Recovery is short, with most people back to normal within a few days.
Consultation and Smile Design
 The consultation is where we determine whether gum contouring is the right procedure for your specific case and where the new gum line should sit. We take clinical photographs of your smile, evaluate the gum-to-tooth proportion, examine your bite, and use cone beam imaging to confirm the bone position. For multi-tooth aesthetic cases, we use digital smile design software to map out where the new gum line should fall. The design accounts for facial proportions, how much tooth typically shows when you smile, and symmetry between sides of your mouth.
Patients planning a smile makeover often pair gum contouring with veneers or whitening; in those cases, the smile design step plans the gum work against the planned restorations so the heights and proportions all match.
Anesthesia and Comfort Preparation
We numb the area with topical anesthetic gel, with local anesthetic injection added if more depth of anesthesia is needed. Most patients describe the laser portion as comparable to a deep cleaning, with pressure rather than pain. You stay awake and aware throughout. If you’re anxious about the procedure, tell us during the consultation, and we’ll factor that into how we pace the visit.
The Laser Recontouring
With the area fully numb, we use the soft tissue laser to reshape the gum margin to the planned new contour. The laser vaporizes a thin layer of gum tissue at a precise depth and seals small blood vessels as it cuts, which keeps bleeding minimal. We work in small increments and check the symmetry against the smile design at multiple points during the procedure rather than committing to the full reshape in one pass.
For symmetry across multiple front teeth, we check the gum line against the smile design at each step. Final refinements happen at the very end, with you sitting upright so we can confirm the result looks right at the angle people see your smile from.
Healing and Final Look
The treated area heals like a minor surface burn (because that’s effectively what laser tissue removal is). Most patients have a tender feeling and slightly raw-looking gums for the first three to five days. By the end of the first week, the gum tissue has formed its initial protective layer. By the two-to-three-week mark, the new gum margin has fully healed and the cosmetic result is settled.
You can return to normal eating, drinking, and brushing immediately, with minor adjustments: avoid hot, spicy, or acidic foods for a few days, brush gently around the treated area for the first week, and skip the gym for two days if your case involved more extensive contouring.
Benefits of Gum Contouring
You change the proportion of your smile without changing your teeth. Gum contouring reshapes only the soft tissue, leaving your natural teeth intact. The change comes from how much tooth shows when you smile, not from adding restorations or veneers. The smile design software step at our consultation lets you see the planned proportion change before any laser work begins.
Symmetry across multiple front teeth, when that’s the goal, is precise. The laser allows finer increments of tissue removal than scalpel work, and our smile design checks the gum margin against the plan at each step. The result is a more even gum line across your visible teeth, not just lower overall coverage.
Recovery is short. Most patients return to normal activities the next day. The only restrictions are mild for the first week (avoiding spicy or acidic food, brushing gently around the treated area). Compared to scalpel-based gum surgery, the laser approach typically reduces post-procedure bleeding, swelling, and discomfort. We see patients back at the two-week mark to confirm everything healed correctly.
It pairs naturally with other cosmetic work. If you’re planning dental veneers or whitening as part of a broader smile improvement, gum contouring slots into the plan to address the gum-to-tooth proportion before or alongside the restorative work. We sequence it appropriately so the new gum line is set before veneers are designed against it. Doing gum contouring after veneers go in risks shifting the proportions you and the doctor agreed on.
Why Choose Our Team for Gum Contouring
 Gum contouring sits at the intersection of cosmetic precision and laser dentistry. At RJ Dental, our laser-certified dentist performs the procedure using a soft tissue laser system that’s part of our daily practice across multiple procedure types, not a tool that comes out of the cabinet for the occasional case. Regular use means the technique is dialed in.
We take cone beam imaging on every case before recommending a path. CBCT changes the recommendation when the bone position turns out to be the actual issue. If your case really needs crown lengthening rather than gum contouring, we tell you that upfront and explain the difference. We don’t substitute the simpler procedure when the more involved one will give you the lasting result you actually want.
Smile design is part of the consultation, not an upcharge. We use digital smile design software to map out where the new gum line should sit before any laser touches your gums. For multi-tooth aesthetic cases, that planning step is what determines whether the result looks balanced and natural or off-balance and obvious. We share the plan with you before the procedure so you know exactly what we’re trying to achieve.
We sequence gum contouring carefully when it’s part of a larger plan. If your case includes veneers, whitening, or other restorative work, the gum contouring happens at the right point in the sequence so we establish the new gum line before designing the restorations against it. That’s the difference between a cohesive smile makeover result and a piecemeal one where the gums and restorations don’t match each other.
Gum Contouring Cost and Financing
Cost matters, and we want to be straightforward: gum contouring pricing depends on whether it’s a single-tooth correction or a multi-tooth aesthetic case across the front of your mouth, and whether it’s part of a broader smile makeover or a standalone procedure. Multi-tooth cases involving the front teeth cost more than a single-tooth correction. We give you a personalized estimate at the consultation.
Insurance treatment is honest news up front: dental insurance generally does not cover gum contouring when it’s done for cosmetic reasons. The procedure is classified as elective. Your specific plan may differ. If your case has a functional component (uneven gum line tied to a restorative need, for instance), portions may be covered. Our team verifies your benefits during the consultation. Coverage details and accepted plans are listed under insurance and financing options.
For the portion not covered by insurance, we offer flexible payment plans, and we work with CareCredit, Sunbit, and LendingPoint for longer-term financing. Cosmetic procedures often qualify for promotional financing options.
Schedule Your Gum Contouring Consultation
The first step is the consultation. That’s where we determine whether gum contouring is the right approach for your case, what the new gum line should look like, and how it fits into any larger cosmetic plan. Call our Teaneck office at (551) 369-2001, our Roselle office at (908) 488-5005, or book through our Request an Appointment page. We’re at 865 Teaneck Rd in Teaneck, NJ 07666. Our Roselle office is at 121-125 Chestnut St, Suite 201 in Roselle, NJ 07203.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will gum contouring hurt?
We numb the area with topical anesthetic gel before the procedure, with local anesthetic injection added if more depth of anesthesia is needed. Most patients describe the laser portion as feeling like firm pressure rather than pain. Afterward, the treated area is tender for three to five days, similar to a minor sunburn on the inside of your mouth. Over-the-counter ibuprofen handles the discomfort for most patients. Compared to scalpel-based gum surgery, the laser approach typically reduces post-procedure bleeding and swelling.
How long does the gum contouring procedure take, and how long is recovery?
Procedure time runs 30 to 60 minutes, with shorter cases for single-tooth corrections and longer for multi-tooth aesthetic work across the front teeth. The recovery distinguishes itself in stages: at day one, you’ll notice the area looks rawer than expected (this is normal post-laser appearance, not a complication); at day three, the rawness shifts to a tender feeling that’s similar to having burned the roof of your mouth on hot food; and at the one-to-two-week mark, you stop thinking about the procedure altogether. The final settled cosmetic look is visible at the three-week mark for most patients, and the gum tissue continues to remodel quietly through the four-to-six-week point.
Is gum contouring permanent? Will my gums grow back?
For mild aesthetic cases where the bone position is fine, the result is durable. The gum tissue heals to the new contour and stays there for years for most patients. The honest caveat: gum tissue that was reshaped to expose more tooth than the underlying bone level supports tends to migrate back over months. That’s the bone-level issue we screen for at the consultation with cone beam imaging. Cases where the bone is the actual problem need crown lengthening rather than gum contouring; doing gum contouring on a bone-level case is what gives a temporary result that fades within months. The screening step is what separates lasting results from short-lived ones.
Can gum contouring fix my gummy smile?
For mild gummy smiles where the gum tissue itself is the issue, gum contouring works well. For severe gummy smiles where the underlying jaw structure or muscle position causes the gum to show prominently, gum contouring won’t give a lasting fix and may make the result look unnatural. The cone beam scan at consultation tells us which type your case is. Patients sometimes ask whether “a little” gum contouring can help severe cases. The honest answer is that it won’t address the root cause, and the gum will tend to migrate back to its original position over months because the underlying issue wasn’t fixed.
How is gum contouring different from crown lengthening?
The shorthand answer: gum contouring works on the gum only; crown lengthening adjusts the gum and the underlying bone. The decision-rule version: if the bone underneath is in the right position and only the soft tissue needs reshaping, gum contouring is the right call (shorter procedure, shorter recovery, lower cost, no bone work). If the bone is too high relative to where the gum line should sit, crown lengthening is the right call (more involved procedure, longer recovery, more expensive, but the result is durable because the bone is adjusted to support the new gum margin). Cone beam imaging at the consultation tells us which scenario you’re in.
Does dental insurance cover gum contouring in Teaneck or Roselle?
Most plans treat gum contouring as elective and don’t cover it. The angles where coverage sometimes shows up: cases where the contouring is part of pre-restorative treatment (the gum work is necessary to make the next procedure possible), cases combining gum contouring with periodontal disease management, and certain limited functional cases. Pure cosmetic gum contouring is rarely covered regardless of plan. Two practical alternatives: most plans have annual maximums that reset each year (pairing the cosmetic work with covered procedures across two plan years sometimes makes financing easier), and HSA/FSA accounts often allow cosmetic dental procedures as qualified expenses.
Is the laser safer than scalpel-based gum surgery?
“Safer” isn’t quite the right word. Both laser and scalpel-based gum surgery are safe procedures in trained hands, with very low complication rates either way. The laser’s practical advantages are different from safety: more precise tissue removal allows finer cosmetic shaping, less bleeding during the procedure, and faster healing of the surface tissue. The trade-offs go the other direction in cases requiring deeper or wider tissue removal, where surgical instruments still work better. We use the laser as our primary approach for cosmetic gum contouring because cosmetic work requires precision more than depth, and the same technology supports our broader range of laser dentistry treatments.
How much of my gum line can be reshaped at once?
There’s no fixed limit, but practical considerations apply. For aesthetic cases involving the front of the mouth, we typically work across the visible smile zone (six to ten teeth) in one appointment. We usually split multi-arch cases (full upper plus full lower) across two appointments to keep the procedure time manageable and to give us a chance to confirm the upper arch result before committing to the lower. For minor single-tooth corrections, the work is over in 15 to 20 minutes. Your consultation will give a specific scope plan based on what your case actually needs. |
