Cosmetic Dentistry
Gum Contouring
Small reshaping where the gumline sits unevenly — often the last five percent.
- Duration
- 30–60 minutes
- Visits
- One
- Recovery
- 7–10 days of tenderness
What it is
Reshaping the frame, not the teeth.
Sometimes teeth look short or uneven not because of the teeth, but because the gum sits low on one or two of them. Contouring reshapes that margin with a soft-tissue laser. It's a small procedure, usually done alongside whitening, bonding or veneers rather than on its own.
What to expect
A smaller change than it sounds.
- 1
A measurement of where the gum sits against the bone — this decides whether contouring is safe on that tooth.
- 2
A drawn plan on your photographs so you see the new line before it's made.
- 3
Local anaesthetic, then the laser, which seals as it works — very little bleeding.
- 4
Ten days of settling, then any bonding or veneer work follows.
Questions
Asked about this one, most often.
Will the gum grow back?+
Where the reshaping respects the underlying bone, no. Where it doesn't, it will — which is why we measure first.
Does it hurt afterwards?+
It feels like a scald for a couple of days. Soft food, no spicy things, and ordinary painkillers are enough.
Can it be done on its own?+
Yes, but most people arrive wanting it as part of a wider change. We'll say if the gumline isn't actually the problem.
Also in Cosmetic Dentistry
Ready when you are — or happy to answer one more question first.
Appointments run 45 minutes minimum, and nothing gets booked beyond the one you're agreeing to.
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