Your Trusted Gum Contouring Dentist in Richmond, TX
Dr. Ginger Unegbu’s expertise spans various dental domains, showcasing excellence in preventive care, restorative treatments, cosmetic enhancements, and advanced dental care.
 Everyone’s gumlines are different. Some are high, some are low, and some are in between. Some may even be uneven. At Glow Up Dentistry, our team of periodontal specialists are dedicated to helping patients achieve healthy, beautiful-looking gums.
At Glow Up Dentistry in Richmond, TX, we specialize in gum contouring treatments that gently reshape your teeth into perfect alignment, helping you regain confidence in your smile.
In this detailed guide, you’ll learn everything about gum contouring: how it works, who is a good candidate, what to expect, benefits, and why Glow Up Dentistry is the trusted choice.
Gum contouring, also known as reshaping, is a procedure that involves cutting away or removing excess gum tissue around your teeth to ultimately resculpt your gumline. If you have gum recession, this procedure can also involve restoring gum tissue.
If you feel self-conscious about your gumline, there are ways to change it. Gum contouring, also known as gingival sculpting or gingivoplasty, is one of the options that can help reshape your gumline and is performed by our Periodontal Specialist, Dr. Ginger Unegbu.
In many cases, gum contouring is an elective procedure. This means that it is not medically necessary. Instead, it is done to improve the look of the gums, teeth, or smile. But there may be times when the dentist recommends gum contouring for oral health reasons, especially if you have periodontal disease.
Gum contouring is usually done by a periodontist. It is an in-office procedure that is typically done in one visit.
In most cases, you’ll remain awake during the procedure. Before the doctor starts, you’ll receive local anaesthesia to numb the gum area.
During the procedure, the doctor will use a soft tissue laser or scalpel to remove excess gum tissue and resculpt the gumline to expose more of the tooth. Sutures may be used to hold the gum tissue in place.
If your gums recede and the procedure involves adding gum tissue, your doctor will remove tissue from another part of your mouth, maybe your palate. Surgery secures this tissue around your teeth to lengthen and restructure your gumline.
The length of the procedure will vary depending on the extent of the contouring and the amount of resculpting that is needed. Generally, gum contouring takes about 1 to 2 hours.
If you have concerns about the appearance of your smile, such as an uneven gumline or a gummy smile, schedule your consultation with the experts at Glow Up Dentistry in Richmond. We will be happy to discuss your cosmetic dental options.
If you have periodontal disease, gum contouring may be a treatment option. The dentist will first try to treat gum disease with antibiotics to kill the bacteria and infection, or dental cleanings to restore gum health.
You’ll be given local anaesthesia before the procedure starts. This will numb your gums, so you won’t feel pain while the doctor is working on your mouth. But you can expect some tenderness and numbness afterwards.
Gum contouring involves little downtime, but complete healing might take days or weeks, depending on the extent of the surgery. You may have to limit some activities for a day or two based on how you feel and any tenderness you may have.
If you have been searching for a gum contouring dentist or looking for gum contouring near the Richmond area, Glow Up Dentistry is ready to help. Our cosmetic dentistry gum contouring service is one of the most impactful treatments we offer because even a small change to the gumline can completely transform how your smile looks.
We perform gum reshaping using a soft tissue laser, which is more precise and more comfortable than traditional scalpel techniques. Laser gum contouring surgery also promotes faster healing because it seals the tissue as it works, reducing bleeding and post-procedure soreness.
Most patients are back to their normal routine within a day or two. Whether you have a “gummy smile” that shows too much tissue or an uneven gumline that makes your teeth look mismatched, our gum reshaping service gives us the precision to create a natural, balanced result.
Most people associate gum contouring with removing excess tissue, but gum contouring for receding gums is equally important. When gums pull back from the teeth, they expose the root surface, which increases sensitivity, raises the risk of decay at the gumline, and changes the appearance of your smile. At Glow Up Dentistry, we address recession by grafting tissue to restore coverage and protect the roots.
If you have seen gum reshaping before and after photos and wondered whether results like that are realistic for your situation, the answer depends on the severity of the issue and the approach used.
We always show patients a realistic picture of what to expect before we start, and we document your progress so you can see the difference clearly. Gum contouring for receding gums is one of the most meaningful treatments we perform, because it protects your long-term oral health at the same time as it improves your smile.
 In most cases, the results of gum contouring are permanent for the reshaping portion of the procedure. Once excess tissue is removed with laser or scalpel, it does not grow back. For gum contouring for receding gums where tissue is grafted, the graft becomes part of your gumline and is also long lasting.Â
That said, maintaining good oral hygiene and attending regular checkups helps protect the results over time.
The cost of gum contouring surgery varies depending on how many teeth are involved, the technique used (laser vs. scalpel), and whether tissue grafting is required. At Glow Up Dentistry, we provide a detailed cost estimate at your consultation so there are no surprises.
When cosmetic dentistry gum contouring is performed for purely aesthetic reasons, insurance typically does not cover it. If the procedure is recommended to address periodontal disease, partial coverage may apply. We will check your benefits before treatment begins.
The procedure itself is not painful because local anaesthesia is used throughout. What most gum contouring near me patients experience afterward is mild tenderness and some sensitivity around the treated area for a few days.
Over-the-counter pain relief is usually enough to manage this. Laser-assisted gum reshaping tends to produce less post-procedure discomfort than traditional methods, which is one of the reasons we prefer it. We give every patient clear aftercare instructions to keep recovery as smooth as possible.
