Gummy Smile Surgery

The choice depends on what's causing your gummy smile:

• Gingivectomy (soft tissue removal only) is suitable if you have excess gum covering naturally-sized teeth, with sufficient bone-to-gum distance
• Crown Lengthening (gum + bone reshaping) is needed when there's also excess bone covering your teeth, or when teeth are naturally short

Our dentists use Digital Smile Design and X-rays to visualize your anatomy and recommend the appropriate procedure. Many patients need a combination approach for optimal results.

In many cases, yes, but it requires special planning. If you have existing dental work, we'll evaluate whether it can remain or needs replacement after your gum surgery. Often, the sequence is:

1. Remove old restorations
2. Perform gummy smile correction
3. Place new veneers or crowns 3-6 months later after gums heal

This ensures your new dental work matches your corrected gum line perfectly. Discuss your existing dental work during consultation.

For international patients, we recommend:

• Minimum stay: 7-10 days (includes consultation, treatment, and initial follow-up)
• Ideal stay: 14 days (allows additional follow-up and peace of mind)

The actual procedure takes only 45-90 minutes, but allowing time for consultation, healing monitoring, and any unexpected complications is wise. Many patients extend their stay to explore Vietnam's beautiful destinations like Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, or Phu Quoc Island.

Most patients report minimal to no pain during the procedure due to effective local anesthesia. You may feel pressure or tugging sensations, but no sharp pain. After the anesthesia wears off (2-3 hours post-treatment), you might experience:

• Mild to moderate tenderness (managed easily with over-the-counter pain medication)
• Slight throbbing sensation for the first 24-48 hours
• Minimal discomfort when eating soft foods

By day 3-5, most patients report pain has subsided significantly. Our laser technology dramatically reduces post-operative discomfort compared to traditional scalpel methods.

One of the major advantages of laser gummy smile surgery is that stitches are usually NOT required! The laser cauterizes (seals) the tissue as it cuts, minimizing bleeding and eliminating the need for sutures in most cases. This means:

• Faster healing
• Less post-operative discomfort
• No need for stitch removal appointment
• Lower infection risk

In complex crown lengthening cases involving significant bone work, dissolvable stitches may be placed but will disappear on their own within 7-10 days.

Recovery varies by individual and procedure complexity, but here's the typical timeline:

Immediate (0-24 hours): Some bleeding, numbness wearing off, follow soft food diet
Days 1-3: Mild swelling and tenderness, continue soft foods, avoid hot liquids
Days 4-7: Significant improvement, resume normal diet gradually, swelling mostly gone
Days 7-14: Gums look nearly normal, return to all regular activities
Weeks 2-6: Complete soft tissue healing
Months 3-6: Final gum position stabilizes, ready for any additional cosmetic work

Most international patients can fly home comfortably 5-7 days post-treatment. Locals typically return to work within 2-5 days, depending on their job type.

For the first 48-72 hours, stick to:

• Cold, soft foods: Yogurt, smoothies, ice cream, pudding
• Room temperature purees: Mashed potatoes, applesauce, soup (not hot)
• Protein shakes: For nutrition without chewing

Days 4-7, transition to:

• Soft pasta, scrambled eggs, oatmeal
• Cooked vegetables (well-done, not crunchy)
• Soft bread, rice

After day 7, gradually reintroduce normal foods, avoiding:

• Very hard foods (nuts, hard candy, ice) for 2 weeks
• Extremely hot foods or drinks for 1 week
• Crunchy foods that could irritate gums

Vietnamese cuisine offers excellent soft food options like pho (noodle soup), chao (congee), and steamed fish: perfect for recovery!