A gum lift is a cosmetic dental procedure that reshapes your gumline by removing excess gum tissue, revealing more of your teeth underneath. It’s most commonly done to correct what’s known as a “gummy smile,” where a disproportionate amount of gum tissue shows when you smile. Clinically, a gummy smile is diagnosed when 3 millimeters or more of gum tissue is visible above the teeth during a full smile.
Why People Get Gum Lifts
The most common reason is purely aesthetic. Some people feel their teeth look too short or that too much gum dominates their smile. In many of these cases, the teeth underneath are actually normal-sized but hidden by excess tissue. A gum lift reveals more of the tooth surface, creating a more balanced appearance.
There’s also a functional version of the procedure called crown lengthening, which goes a step further. If you need a dental crown but don’t have enough visible tooth structure to support one, a dentist may need to remove gum tissue (and sometimes a small amount of underlying bone) to create the space your crown needs. This prevents the crown from pressing into and damaging the surrounding gum and bone. So while a gum lift is often cosmetic, it can also be a necessary step before restorative dental work.
Laser vs. Scalpel Techniques
Traditional gum lifts used a scalpel to cut and reshape the tissue. That approach still works, but most modern practices now use dental lasers for soft tissue contouring. The difference matters for your experience as a patient.
Lasers make more precise cuts along the gumline. They also cauterize the tissue as they go, meaning far less bleeding during the procedure. The reduced bleeding and lower tissue trauma translate to a faster recovery, typically shaving a few days off healing time compared to scalpel-based surgery. If your dentist offers both options, the laser approach is generally the more comfortable route.
What Happens During the Procedure
A gum lift is usually done in a single office visit. The most common setup is local anesthesia, which numbs the gum tissue while you stay fully awake. You won’t feel the cutting, though you’ll be aware of pressure and movement. Some patients request IV sedation for anxiety, and general anesthesia is an option for more extensive cases, though it’s less common.
Your dentist or periodontist will mark the new gumline, then use a laser or scalpel to remove the excess tissue along that line. In cases where bone sits too close to the desired gumline, they’ll also reshape a small amount of bone to prevent the gums from simply growing back. The entire process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how many teeth are involved.
Recovery Week by Week
Recovery is relatively quick. Most people return to work or school within a day or two. Expect some bleeding, mild discomfort, swelling, and tooth sensitivity in the first few days. These side effects typically fade within three to four days, and full recovery takes about a week.
The first 48 hours are the most restrictive. You should avoid rinsing, brushing, or flossing the surgical area for the first 24 hours so the blood clot can form undisturbed. Don’t use a straw, since the suction can dislodge that clot. Skip strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for at least 48 hours. After the two-day mark, warm salt water rinses help speed healing.
What to Eat (and Avoid) While Healing
Stick to soft foods for at least a week and chew away from the surgical area. Cold foods like ice cream and smoothies (eaten with a spoon, not a straw) are fine. Avoid anything hard, crunchy, sticky, spicy, or acidic: no chips, nuts, popcorn, or citrus. Very hot foods and drinks should be avoided on the day of the procedure, as heat can prolong bleeding.
Alcohol and smoking are off the table for 7 to 14 days after surgery. Smoking in particular slows tissue healing and raises the risk of complications. Resist the urge to pull your lip down to inspect the area or touch it with your tongue or fingers.
How Long Results Last
In most cases, gum contouring produces permanent results. The reshaped gumline stays where your dentist placed it. There is, however, a small chance that gum tissue can regrow. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this usually happens when the provider didn’t remove enough bone underneath the gums during the initial procedure. Bone acts as a scaffold for gum tissue. If excess bone remains, the gums may slowly creep back to their original position. This is why some gum lifts include minor bone reshaping as a preventive step.
Risks to Know About
A gum lift is considered a low-risk procedure, but it’s not without potential downsides. The most common one is increased tooth sensitivity. Your tooth roots are covered in cementum, a material that’s much less protective than the enamel on the visible part of your teeth. When gum tissue is removed, more of that root surface can become exposed, making teeth sensitive to hot, cold, or brushing pressure.
Over-aggressive tissue removal could also lead to gum recession later on, which is irreversible. Receding gums don’t grow back. If recession occurs after a gum lift, it can expose even more root surface, compounding sensitivity issues. Choosing an experienced provider who takes conservative, measured approaches helps minimize this risk.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
A purely cosmetic gum lift is rarely covered by dental insurance. When the procedure is done for functional reasons, such as crown lengthening before a restoration, insurance is more likely to cover part of the cost. Pricing varies significantly depending on how many teeth are treated and how much work is involved. For gum grafting (a related but different procedure that adds tissue rather than removing it), national averages run around $2,700, with a range of roughly $2,100 to $5,000. A straightforward cosmetic gum lift that only removes soft tissue is often less expensive, but costs depend heavily on your location and provider. Ask for an itemized estimate before scheduling.