Gummy Smile Surgery Cost in Houston
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Crown lengthening, the most common surgical correction for a gummy smile, is charged as a set fee per site at Omega Dental Specialists in Midtown Houston, performed by our periodontist Dr. Shirin Farhadian. What matters more than the price is the cause, because a gummy smile has several and they do not all respond to the same treatment. Here is how the assessment works and how the cost is set.
Seen in Midtown Houston, Saturday hours: Book an appointment · (713) 322-7474 · Periodontics in Houston
What it costs at our Midtown office
Searches for the average cost of gummy smile surgery in Houston return wide ranges, because they lump together procedures that treat different causes. Our structure is simpler: crown lengthening is a set fee per site, and that fee covers the surgical procedure to reshape gum and, where needed, the bone beneath it, so more of the natural tooth is visible. Call (713) 322-7474 for today's exact figure.
A site is a region rather than a single tooth, so a correction across the front six teeth is usually quoted as one site rather than six. We tell you how your case is counted before you agree to anything, because that is a common place for quotes to be confusing.
The consultation is free, and it includes the examination and imaging needed to work out what is actually causing the gumminess.
Other approaches exist for causes that crown lengthening does not address, and where one of those is the right answer we will say so at the consultation and quote it then rather than list a number here that may not apply to you.
Why the cause decides the treatment
A gummy smile is a description of an appearance, not a diagnosis, and four quite different things produce it.
Altered passive eruption is the common one. The gum never fully receded from the teeth as they came in, so the teeth are a normal size but partly covered. This is the case crown lengthening is designed for.
A short or hypermobile upper lip lifts further than average when you smile, exposing gum above teeth that are perfectly proportioned. Cutting gum here does not address the cause and can produce a worse result than doing nothing.
Vertical maxillary excess means the upper jaw is longer than average, so the whole dental arch sits lower in the face. This is skeletal and is not solved by gum surgery.
Teeth that are genuinely short, from wear or from how they formed, can also read as gumminess.
Some people have more than one of these. Working out which applies to you is the entire point of the consultation, and it is why a price quoted before an examination is not worth much.
What crown lengthening involves
It is done under local anesthetic and usually takes under an hour for a front-teeth case.
Dr. Farhadian marks the intended gum line first, based on the proportions of your teeth and where the underlying bone sits. Excess gum tissue is removed, and in most cases a small amount of bone is reshaped as well, because leaving the bone where it is often lets the gum grow back to where it started.
Sutures are usually placed and come out at a review appointment about a week later.
Expect soreness and some swelling for a few days, managed with over the counter pain relief. Soft food for the first days, and avoid brushing the surgical area directly until we say otherwise, cleaning it instead with the rinse we provide.
The gum takes several weeks to settle into its final position, and up to a few months before the contour is fully mature. If you are planning veneers or crowns on the same teeth, that healing period has to come first, which is worth knowing if you are working toward a date.
Who performs it
Crown lengthening is periodontal surgery, and at Omega it is done by Dr. Shirin Farhadian, our periodontist. She is board certified and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology.
That matters here more than for most cosmetic work, because the procedure involves the bone as well as the gum, and because the aesthetic outcome depends on judging where the gum line should sit relative to the lip, the teeth and the midline before anything is removed. Gum that has been taken away is not straightforward to put back.
If your case turns out to be one that crown lengthening will not fix, she will say so. A short upper lip treated with gum surgery produces a patient who has had surgery and still has a gummy smile.
Insurance and payment
Whether your policy contributes depends entirely on that policy, and it usually turns on why the procedure is being done.
Crown lengthening carried out for a clinical reason, such as exposing enough tooth structure to place a crown on a tooth broken near the gum line, is treated differently by most plans from the same procedure carried out to change how a smile looks. Purely cosmetic treatment is commonly excluded.
We contact your insurer before treatment, confirm what your specific policy will do for your specific situation, and give you your out of pocket share in writing rather than estimating it. That check is free.
Cherry, Affirm and Sunbit spread the balance monthly, with 0% APR plans available through Affirm and Cherry for those who qualify. FSA and HSA funds may apply depending on how the treatment is classified, which is worth asking your plan administrator about directly.
What to ask before booking anywhere
Four questions, and they apply to us as much as to anyone else.
• What is causing my gummy smile, specifically? If the answer is not one of the four causes above, or if nobody has examined you yet, the treatment plan is not based on anything.
• How is a site defined in this quote, and how many sites is my case?
• Will bone be reshaped as well as gum? If not, ask what stops the gum growing back.
• Who is performing it, and what is their training in periodontal surgery?
A practice that answers all four plainly is showing you a real plan. One that quotes a price over the phone without examining you is quoting the average case, and you may not be it.
Gummy smile treatment in Midtown Houston
We are at 106 W Gray Street in Midtown, between Downtown and the Texas Medical Center, with parking on site. Patients come from Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, EaDo and the Museum District.
The consultation is free and it is a real assessment rather than a sales appointment. You will leave knowing what is causing the appearance you want changed, whether we can treat it, and what it would cost in writing.
Because Omega is a multi-specialty practice, if the answer involves more than gum surgery, the other people are in the same building. Restorative work on short or worn teeth, orthodontic assessment where tooth position is part of the picture, and periodontal treatment if the gums need it first.
Open Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 3. Call (713) 322-7474 or book online.
More on gum treatment on our periodontics page, and on cosmetic options in veneers cost in Houston.
Frequently asked
How much does gummy smile surgery cost in Houston?
Crown lengthening, the most common surgical correction, is charged as a set fee per site at Omega Dental Specialists in Midtown Houston. A site is a region rather than a single tooth, so a correction across the front teeth is usually one site. The consultation is free and includes the assessment needed to determine whether crown lengthening is the right treatment for your particular cause; call (713) 322-7474 for today's exact fee.
What causes a gummy smile?
Four things, and they need different treatments. Altered passive eruption, where the gum never fully receded from teeth of normal size, is what crown lengthening addresses. A short or hypermobile upper lip exposes gum above well-proportioned teeth. Vertical maxillary excess is a skeletal difference in jaw length. Teeth that are genuinely short from wear can also read as gumminess. Some people have more than one.
Does insurance cover gummy smile surgery?
It depends entirely on your policy and usually on why the procedure is being done. Crown lengthening carried out for a clinical reason, such as exposing enough tooth to place a crown on a badly broken tooth, is treated differently by most plans from the same procedure done to change appearance. Purely cosmetic treatment is commonly excluded. We verify your specific benefit with your insurer at no charge.
Does the gum grow back after crown lengthening?
That is exactly why bone is usually reshaped as well as gum. The gum sits at a predictable distance above the underlying bone, so removing tissue without addressing the bone often allows it to return to roughly where it started. Ask any provider whether their procedure includes bone recontouring, because it is the difference between a lasting result and a temporary one.
How long is recovery from crown lengthening?
Soreness and some swelling for a few days, managed with over the counter pain relief, and sutures usually removed about a week later. The gum takes several weeks to settle into position and up to a few months for the contour to fully mature. If veneers or crowns are planned on the same teeth, that healing has to finish first, which matters if you are working toward a specific date.
Can a gummy smile be fixed without surgery?
It depends on the cause. Where tooth position contributes, orthodontic treatment can change how much gum shows. Where short or worn teeth are the issue, restorative work rather than gum surgery is the answer. Where the cause is altered passive eruption, surgery is what addresses it. This is why the assessment matters more than the price: the wrong treatment for your cause is expensive whatever it costs.
Who should perform gummy smile surgery?
Crown lengthening is periodontal surgery involving bone as well as gum tissue, and the aesthetic result depends on judging where the gum line should sit before anything is removed. At Omega it is performed by Dr. Shirin Farhadian, who is board certified and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. Ask any provider about their training in periodontal surgery specifically.