If Your Gums Show Too Much When You Smile: How Your Smile Changes Before and After Gum Contouring | Anterior Aesthetic Laser Procedure Log

Hello. I’m Yuna Kim, the head director of Claire Dental Clinic.

Do your gums show too much when you smile,

or do your front gum lines look uneven or dark,

so that you’ve found yourself worrying about it every time you take a photo?

Among the concerns we hear most often during consultations these days, the following are at the top:

👉 gummy smile / gummy smile / gum pigmentation.

There is a lot of information if you search online,

but it may only leave you thinking,

“So what should I do?”

That’s why today,

I’m going to organize and share a procedure log for anterior aesthetic laser treatment, where the before-and-after changes from gum contouring are clearly visible.

 

The reasons gums show too much when you smile are more varied than you might think

✔ When the upper lip curls upward while smiling

✔ When the gums cover too much of the teeth, making the teeth look short

✔ When the gum line is asymmetrical or uneven

✔ When the gums look dark or brown

Because the treatment method is completely different depending on the cause,

it is difficult to explain it simply as just “gum contouring.”

 

What is a gummy smile?

A gummy smile refers to a condition in which

when smiling, the upper lip rises excessively

and a large amount of gum becomes visible.

👉 Check points

The gums show 3 mm or more when smiling

The upper lip feels like it curls upward strongly

The gums appear before the teeth when smiling

If two or more of these apply,

a gummy smile may be present.

 

So what kind of treatment is performed?

1️⃣ When the gum line is the problem → Laser gum contouring

When the gums are uneven or asymmetrical

When the teeth look short

When the front teeth seem visually cramped or heavy

👉 Using a laser, unnecessary gum tissue is refined

👉 The gum line is shaped into an ideal curve

👉 The teeth appear longer, and the smile becomes more defined

✔ No incision or sutures

✔ Minimal bleeding and pain

✔ Less burden during recovery

2️⃣ When the gums look dark → Laser gum pigmentation removal

The main reason gums look dark or brown is

👉 melanin pigmentation.

Using a laser,

if only the pigmented surface layer is safely removed,

it is possible to restore the gums to a natural pink color.

✔ Performed with topical anesthesia only

✔ Short procedure time

✔ Immediate return to daily life

Immediately after tooth contouring & gum contouring on the same day

[Before the procedure]

Awkward smile due to excessive gum exposure when smiling

Uneven gum line makes the tooth alignment stand out more

Dark gum color makes the overall impression look dull

[After the procedure]

Reduced gum exposure when smiling

A neater gum line makes the teeth look more aligned

The overall impression becomes much brighter and cleaner

The patient also said,

“I feel much more comfortable smiling.”

“I don’t have to worry about my gums when taking photos anymore.”

A photo the patient sent while smiling brightly!!

Gum contouring is recommended for these people

✔ People who are concerned because too much gum shows when they smile

✔ People who are bothered by an uneven front gum line

✔ People whose gums look dark and make their overall impression seem dull

✔ People who want to improve their impression without laminate veneers

For gum contouring, who performs it and how it is done matters

The anterior gum area

✔ is the center of the smile, and

✔ is the area that determines first impressions,

so precise diagnosis and design that take into account the movement of the teeth, gums, and lips together are most important.

It is not simply a procedure that just trims the gums,

👉 Please remember that it is an aesthetic treatment that considers harmony with the overall facial impression.

Please choose non-prep laminate veneers together with Claire Dental Clinic, a specialist in tooth contouring