Gum Contouring & Reshaping
When the gum line covers more of the tooth than it should, reshaping it is one of the fastest changes a smile can make. Many patients think they have “short teeth”; often the teeth are a normal length, just hidden under excess gum. Gum contouring (gingivectomy) reveals them in a single appointment, with the change visible the same day.
Comfortable and quick. Numbing is done with computer-controlled anesthesia instead of traditional injections, bleeding is minimal, and the 8 to 10 front teeth that show when you smile can usually be contoured in about an hour.
Planned before it is done. Teeth and gums are examined first, with radiographs or a tomographic study, so the new gum line is symmetric and the result lasts.
The cause comes first. Prominent gums are not always excess tissue. If it is tissue, it is corrected in that one-hour session; if the bone beneath sets the gum line, the treatment is crown lengthening; and if the cause is not periodontal at all, we will tell you plainly.
What reshaping the gum line changes
The evaluation picks the tool
The cause decides the procedure: excess tissue alone responds to contouring, while a gum line set by the bone beneath it calls for crown lengthening. That distinction is made by examination and imaging, not by looking at a photograph.
Designed against your lip line
The new gum line is drawn against the way you actually smile — lip at rest, in speech and in full smile — not against a fixed measurement. Symmetry between the two sides matters more than any number.
Conservative by design
Only tissue that serves no purpose is removed, and the attachment where the gum meets the tooth is respected. Done this way, the result is stable — and it sometimes makes further cosmetic work smaller than expected.
How the appointment goes
The anesthetic is delivered by a computer-controlled system instead of a conventional syringe, so the injection itself is barely noticed.
The reshaping is clean — little to no bleeding — and you leave with the result visible the same day.
Eight to ten front teeth take about an hour.
Is my gummy smile actually a gum problem?
Often, yes — and sometimes, no. When the gum itself sits low over normal-length teeth, contouring resolves it directly, and the change is visible the day it is done. But a smile can also show gum because the upper lip rises unusually high, or because of the way the upper jaw grew, and reshaping the gums will not fix either of those. The examination separates these causes before anything is proposed, because operating on the wrong one treats the photograph instead of the patient.
Gingivectomy vs. Gingivoplasty: what is the difference?
The difference is whether the gum is reduced in height or in thickness. Gingivectomy removes excess gum that covers part of the tooth, so more of the tooth shows and short-looking teeth recover their real length. Gingivoplasty thins and reshapes bulky gum, so it sits flat and tapered around the neck of each tooth. One changes how much tooth you see; the other, how the gum around it looks. Because they complement each other, both are often done in the same appointment — what many people call a gum lift. If your concern is gum health — receding gums or deep pockets — that is periodontal gum surgery, a different treatment.
What it costs
Prices in USD. Every plan is confirmed after imaging and clinical evaluation; the written estimate you receive before treatment is the one that applies.
What patients say
“Thank you so much for saving the day. I don’t remember the last time I had such a painful toothache. My wisdom teeth were definitely not helping. Thank you for taking me in last second…”
“I went in there as a walk in and came out a happy customer. Great service and beautiful facility.”
“From the moment I first reached out by email, my experience with Makeover Dental Studio has exceeded every expectation. The clinic itself is state-of-the-art, but what truly sets it apart is the incredible team behind it.”
“Very pleased and impressed with the professional service and attention given at this clinic. All of the staff is very attentive. Dr. Erika answered all my questions and concerns, she explained in detail the whole process of my braces…”
Quoted exactly as written. All 479 reviews on Google →
Frequently asked
What patients ask before they book. If yours is not here, the fastest answer is a call.
- Your case planned in 3D before treatment begins
- A treatment plan written in English
- A direct line to the clinic once you are home
It is done under local anesthesia, and the days after are usually described as tender rather than painful, managed with ordinary analgesia. A soft diet for a few days and keeping the area clean gently are the main practical restrictions.
Where only excess tissue was removed and the bone level was already correct, no — the new line is stable. Where the gum returns, it is usually because the bone beneath it was setting the level all along, and the right procedure was crown lengthening. Identifying that beforehand is precisely what the evaluation is for.
Contouring itself is typically a single visit, with the change visible the same day. A short review is scheduled around your travel, and the healing phase does not require you to be nearby.
Frequently — and in that order: the gum line is set first, allowed to settle, and the cosmetic work is designed against the new proportion. Whether the combination is right for you is a conclusion from the evaluation, not a package to sign up for.
This is a proportion problem with a measured answer.
If you have been covering your smile in photographs, the fix may be smaller than you think — and the honest first step is finding out whether your gum line is the cause at all. Send us a photo of your smile to start the conversation; the answer that counts still comes from an in-person evaluation.
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
Request your consultation
A cosmetic gum evaluation looks at three things together: the gum itself, the bone beneath it, and the lip that frames them. Which procedure fits — contouring, crown lengthening, or none — is a conclusion from that examination, not a starting point.
US: +1 (619) 202-0423
MX: +52 (664) 634-2023
makeoverdentalstudio@outlook.com
Frida Kahlo 10410, Torre Quatro, 1st floor, office 106
Zona Urbana Rio, Tijuana, B.C. 22010
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm | Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
