The appearance of the smile is determined not just by the teeth but by the gum tissue that frames them — and when that frame is uneven, excessive, or asymmetric, even well-shaped and well-colored teeth can appear disproportionate or visually unbalanced in ways that no amount of tooth-focused cosmetic treatment can fully correct.
At Metro West Dental and Implant Institute in Creve Coeur, MO, Dr. Khaled Y. Shabany performs laser gum contouring using Fotona laser technology that reshapes the gumline with a level of precision, comfort, and healing efficiency that conventional surgical gum recontouring simply cannot match. For patients whose cosmetic concerns include a gummy smile, uneven gum margins, or a gumline that disrupts the natural proportion and symmetry of the visible smile, laser gum contouring provides a genuinely transformative improvement with minimal discomfort and remarkably fast recovery.
Correcting Excess Gum Tissue & Improving Smile Symmetry
Gum contouring at Metro West Dental and Implant Institute addresses several distinct clinical and aesthetic presentations that affect the overall balance and proportion of the smile:
- A gummy smile where excessive gum tissue coverage makes the teeth appear shorter than they actually are — creating a smile that looks top-heavy or disproportionate relative to the lips and surrounding facial features
- Uneven gum margins where the gumline height varies between adjacent teeth — producing the asymmetric, irregular appearance that draws attention away from the teeth themselves and disrupts the overall visual harmony of the smile
- Asymmetric gum levels between the left and right sides of the smile that create the impression of misalignment, even when the underlying teeth are correctly positioned
- Excess tissue coverage over specific teeth that makes individual teeth appear smaller or differently proportioned than the surrounding dentition
The Benefits Of Laser Gum Contouring & What To Expect
The Fotona laser technology used for gum contouring at Metro West Dental and Implant Institute delivers meaningful clinical advantages over conventional scalpel-based gum recontouring techniques:
- Precise tissue removal with the accuracy needed to achieve the exact gumline position and contour the smile design requires
- Simultaneous cauterization of the treated tissue significantly reduces bleeding during and after the procedure
- Minimal postoperative swelling and discomfort compared to conventional surgical recontouring
- Reduced or eliminated the need for sutures in most laser gum contouring cases
- Faster soft tissue healing and return to comfortable daily function
The gum contouring appointment at Metro West Dental and Implant Institute begins with a thorough consultation in which Dr. Shabany reviews the planned gumline position with the patient before any treatment begins — confirming that the planned aesthetic improvement aligns with the patient’s specific goals and expectations. Local anesthesia is administered before any laser instrumentation proceeds, and the procedure is completed with the precision and patient-centered attention that defines every clinical service at our practice.
Combining Gum Contouring With Cosmetic Dentistry &
Maintaining Results
Laser gum contouring is most frequently performed as a component of a broader cosmetic treatment plan at Metro West Dental and Implant Institute — sequenced before veneers, crowns, or bonding to establish the ideal gumline frame within which the planned tooth restorations will be designed. Performing gum contouring before cosmetic restorations are fabricated ensures that the final restorations are designed to the correct tooth length and proportion relative to the reshaped gumline — producing a coordinated, cohesive cosmetic result where every element of the smile works together as a unified aesthetic plan. The results of laser gum contouring at Metro West Dental and Implant Institute in Creve Coeur, MO are long-lasting when the underlying cause of the excess tissue is developmental rather than related to ongoing gum inflammation, and Dr. Shabany’s specialty periodontic background ensures that every gum contouring case is evaluated for the tissue health and stability that supports a durable cosmetic outcome.
Call our office or book your cosmetic consultation online today.