You may have heard someone described as being “long in the tooth.” This is meant to imply that someone might be considered old.

But what if it was a more literal description? What if you have some teeth that actually look long or large compared to the rest of your smile? What would you do?

We also know people who would be described as having short teeth? This also could be referred to as a gummy smile.

We can help with either of these issues at our dentist office in Woodbury, MN. Through procedures called tooth contouring and crown lengthening, Dr. Mark W. Wilhelm can give you a more attractive smile.

Call (651) 319-9064 or contact us online if you would like to set up a consultation. Find out if either of these services could give you a better smile.

What Is Tooth Contouring?

By now, you already know that human bodies come in all shapes and sizes. And that can include differences in proportions as well. Even people who are the same height and build may have different size feet or arms of different lengths.

So, it’s not too surprising that someone may have teeth that are misshapen or longer than other teeth in their mouth.

From our experience, this can make some people self-conscious about smiling. Tooth contouring can reshape a tooth that seems out of place compared to the rest of your smile just like veneers can make stained or discolored teeth look white again or a dental crown can repair a damaged tooth.

We’ve seen it over and over again. Patients who are happy with their teeth are more likely to share their smiles with other people. To us, more smiles are good things.

Cosmetic improvements aren’t the only reason you may want to consider tooth contouring. If you have a tooth or teeth that are too long, that can affect your bite. Those teeth may rub against the teeth opposite them (on the other arch of your mouth). This can wear down enamel, and it may leave teeth that are more vulnerable to decay and cavities.

Tooth contouring is a technique for reshaping a tooth so its size and shape fit better with the rest of your smile.

If you are concerned that a large tooth is affecting your confidence in your smile, your bite, or both, contact us today to learn more about how Dr. Wilhelm could help you.

What Is Crown Lengthening?

If you have “short teeth,” it may be because your permanent teeth didn’t fully erupt. Your teeth may look small if you have a higher proportion of gum tissue.

In either case, Dr. Wilhelm can help with a procedure called crown lengthening. You also may have heard this called gum reshaping.

With this procedure, we aren’t actually making your teeth longer. Instead, we are exposing more of your teeth so they look longer. We do this by removing gum tissue so your smile is less “gummy.”

In the process of doing this, we will make sure you have an attractive gumline with a good tooth-to-gum tissue balance.

Multiple patients have told us how their gummy smiles made them feel like they needed to keep their lips firmly pressed together in photos. After the crown lengthening procedure, they have become more comfortable showing their teeth while posing for pictures and even posting those photos on their favorite social media sites.

You Deserve To Be Happy About Your Smile

Whether you think you have teeth that are long or not long enough, everyone at Dr. Wilhelm’s office wants you to feel comfortable with your smile.

For close to 30 years, Dr. Wilhelm has used his training as a prosthodontist to improve the appearance of patients’ smile while preserving or restoring the function of their teeth. We could tell you about Dr. Wilhelm’s credentials. We could tell you how other dentists consult with him about their own patients.

Instead, we welcome you to look through our smile gallery to see the many ways we have made changes that have improved our patients’ confidence in their smiles.

But we can’t help you unless you make an appointment at our Woodbury, MN office.

You can schedule an appointment by contacting us online now or by calling (651) 319-9064 today. Don’t wait any longer. Visiting us is the first step in creating a smile that you want to see when you look in the mirror.