Gum Contouring

Gum contouring — sometimes called gingival reshaping — is a minor procedure that adjusts the position and shape of the gum margin around one or more teeth. When the gum line sits unevenly or too low over the teeth, even perfectly healthy teeth can look short, square or asymmetric. By reshaping the margin precisely, gum contouring in London at our Wimpole Street practice can help restore a more balanced frame around your smile.

Uneven gum lines have several possible causes. Some people’s teeth simply erupted with gum tissue sitting at slightly different heights; others have experienced localised gum overgrowth linked to certain medications, mouth breathing or long-term inflammation. Occasionally a tooth that has worn down appears short because the gum has followed it. These patterns are common and rarely a health concern — but they can affect how confident people feel about their smile.

Good candidates typically have healthy gums, adequate tooth structure and a specific, achievable goal, such as evening out two front teeth or lifting a slightly heavy gum line before veneers. Contouring is not appropriate where active gum disease is present, and where the underlying bone sits close to the gum margin a different approach — crown lengthening — may be needed. Suitability is always confirmed at an in-person consultation with a GDC-registered dentist.

Planning starts with an assessment of your gum health, smile line and the biological limits of each tooth. We measure how much tissue can safely be adjusted, and where the change forms part of a wider smile plan we design it digitally so you can see the intended proportions before anything is done. This planning stage is what separates a stable, natural-looking result from an over-ambitious one.

On the day, the area is numbed with local anaesthetic and the gum margin is reshaped tooth by tooth, following the agreed plan. The adjustment itself usually takes between thirty and sixty minutes depending on how many teeth are involved. Most patients find the improvement is visible straight away, with the final settled appearance emerging over the following weeks as the tissue heals.

Gum contouring at our Marylebone practice costs from £200 per tooth, and you will receive a written, itemised quote before treatment. The main cost drivers are the number of teeth involved, the complexity of the reshaping and whether the contouring is combined with other treatment such as bonding or veneers, which can sometimes be scheduled efficiently in the same plan.

It is worth understanding the alternatives. If excess gum display comes mainly from lip movement rather than the gum itself, contouring alone may not achieve what you want, and other gummy smile options may be more appropriate. If the tooth is short because of wear, building the tooth up with bonding may serve you better than removing gum. And where bone levels prevent simple reshaping, crown lengthening — a small surgical procedure — is the more predictable route. We will tell you honestly which applies.

As with any procedure there are limitations and small risks. Tenderness for a few days is normal; minor rebound of tissue can occur if the biological limits are pushed, which is why conservative planning matters. Removing too much gum can expose root surface and create sensitivity, so we always err on the side of caution. Individual results vary, and no cosmetic outcome can be guaranteed.

Aftercare is simple: gentle brushing around the treated area for the first few days, avoiding very hot or spicy food initially, and a short review to check healing. Once healed, the reshaped margin behaves like normal gum tissue and needs nothing more than good daily hygiene and routine check-ups to stay healthy.

The consultation itself is worth describing, because it is where most of the value lies. We begin by asking what specifically bothers you about your gum line — a single uneven tooth, a generally heavy margin, or asymmetry that shows in photographs. We then examine gum health, probe gently to establish where the tissue attaches, and assess the position of the underlying bone, because that determines how much reshaping can be done stably. Photographs are taken so proposed changes can be discussed on screen rather than described abstractly. You leave with a clear recommendation, a written, itemised quote and no obligation — many patients take time to reflect before deciding, and we encourage that.

Nervous patients often ask what the procedure actually feels like. In practice, most people describe it as one of the gentler dental experiences: the area is fully numbed first, there is no drilling of tooth structure in a straightforward case, and the sensation during treatment is typically pressure rather than pain. Some patients bring headphones and listen to music; others prefer a running commentary so they know exactly what is happening. Either approach is fine — we adapt to what keeps you comfortable, and you can raise a hand at any point to pause.

In the days after treatment, a predictable healing sequence unfolds. The margin may look slightly red for the first week and can feel tender when brushing; a soft-bristled brush and lukewarm salt-water rinses help. By the second week most patients report the area feels normal, and the tissue tone gradually matches the surrounding gum over the following weeks. If the contouring precedes veneers or bonding, we usually allow the tissue to settle fully before final impressions, so the restorations are made against a stable gum position rather than a moving target.

Longer term, the treated margin needs no special care beyond what healthy gums always need: gentle, effective brushing, daily interdental cleaning and routine check-ups. At those visits we quietly confirm the margin has remained stable and the tissue healthy — recession or inflammation at a treated site is uncommon with conservative planning, but checking costs nothing. If your gum line changes for unrelated reasons in the future, such as gum disease or heavy brushing, addressing that cause early keeps the cosmetic result intact, which is another argument for consistent care under one roof at our Wimpole Street practice.

Our Marylebone location makes review visits easy to fit around work: we are a few minutes on foot from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Regent’s Park underground stations, and many patients attend from across London in a lunch hour. Because contouring appointments are short and recovery is quick, treatment can often be scheduled with minimal disruption to your week, and any follow-up adjustment or review is typically an even briefer visit that slots easily into a working day in central London.

Patients come to our central London practice, near Harley Street, for gum contouring precisely because it demands judgement as much as technique. At our Wimpole Street practice we plan conservatively, show you the intended result first, and integrate the reshaping with any wider cosmetic work so the whole smile reads naturally. If your gum line bothers you, an assessment will tell you quickly whether contouring is the right tool.