Gum Lift What you need to know.

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Cosmetic Dentistry Grants and Gum Lifts

CDG can help you show more of your smile with a gum lift. Do you want to feel happier, more comfortable, and overall confident? Your smile can be the first thing people notice about you so let’s make it the best it can be! Let us help you fix the appearance of your gum line to form a more aesthetically pleasing smile! Learn more about the program here.

Cosmetic Dentistry Grants is a program that offers financial assistance towards a dentistry procedure at a participating dental office. CDG does not provide free or fully subsidized dental procedures.

What Is a Gum Lift?

A gum lift, also known as gum contouring, is a cosmetic dental surgery that removes unwanted gum tissue in a patient whose smile shows an excess amount of gum. The lift is used to create the appearance of longer or more symmetrical teeth. 

Gum Lift Eligibility: Who Can Get Them

Anybody who feels they are in need of changing the way their gums look is able to have this procedure. As long as you receive a dentist’s approval and have healthy teeth and roots to perform the surgery on, this can be an option for you. 

When You Should Get a Gum Lift

Do you feel you have a ‘gummy smile’ or get self-conscious when it comes to laughing or showing your teeth?  No one’s gum lines are exactly the same. Some are higher, some are lower, and some may be uneven. This may be the result of genetics, a health problem, or even taking certain prescription drugs. Either way, if you are unhappy with the way your gums look, it may be time to get a gum lift!

There are also times where a dentist may say a gum lift is medically necessary. This is typically found in cases where the person may have a serious infection in the gums. 

A gum lift procedure is also commonly done along with porcelain veneers and on the front teeth which are most visible.

Where to get a Gum Lift

Cosmetic Dentistry Grants (CDG) will help you find a cosmetic dentist who performs the gum lift procedure in your area that participates in the CDG program, allowing you to get financial assistance toward your gum lift procedure.

CDG does not provide free or fully subsidized dental procedures.

Benefits of a Gum Lift

Gum lifts offer many benefits, both aesthetic and medical. These benefits include:

  • Eliminates excess gum tissue
  • Creates a more even gum line and balance between the gum and teeth ratio
  • The changes to the gum with a gum lift are permanent
  • Short recovery period
  • Allows you to feel happier about your smile!

How Gum Lifts Are Done: What Is the Procedure?

Before the actual gum lift procedure, your dentist will have you come in for a consultation to discuss what you’d like your gums to look like and any limitations there may be. 

During the gum lift procedure, the surgeon will begin by numbing your soft tissue. When the freezing is completed and you are unable to feel anything in the surgical area, they begin to trim and/or reshape your gum tissue. This can be done with either a laser, Electro surgical device, or a scalpel. The use of the laser is usually recommended, as it has a much quicker recovery time. 

After the procedure, it is common for your gums to be tender or swollen but you should be able to eat soft foods immediately after, but be sure to stay clear of spicy, acidic, or sticky foods until the gums are healed. Gentle brushing and flossing are recommended after the procedure as well.

How Much is a Gum Lift?

A gum lift can typically cost anywhere from $300 and up. This will depend on the exact size of the area needed for the procedure. Cost factors also include expertise and location. 

How the Cosmetic Dentistry Grants Can Help You Get a Gum Lift

A Cosmetic Dentistry Grant (CDG) is available for those looking to receive a gum lift procedure. The CDG could cover the partial cost of a gum lift. Learn more about the CDG and if you’re eligible to get CDG funding for a gum lift. Apply now!

Risks of Getting a Gum Lift

The risks of a gum lift are very slim, but include:

  • If you have an allergic reaction to the anesthetic being used 
  • Gum tissue discoloration 

Gum Lift: FAQ

We are asked many questions about gum lift procedures, so we’ve answered some of the most common questions below:

Is a Gum Lift Painful?

Because your gums are numb and frozen before surgery and you sometimes may have the option for sedation, the surgical procedure is not painful. The healing process is fairly quick and accompanied by minor to moderate discomfort. Your dentist may prescribe analgesics for any discomfort. 

Can Your Gums Grow Back After a Gum Lift?

Once the gum tissue is removed from the teeth, it cannot grow back.

How Long Does It Take a Gum Lift to Heal?

General healing time can take anywhere from a week to a full month depending on how much tissue was removed.

From Our Recipients

Due to a serendipitous google search for something unrelated I learned about this opportunity and like a dream come true I will have something that I have wanted repaired for years, repaired. It began when I was 7 or 8, I had fallen on my face and my baby tooth was thrusted into my bone pushing my adult tooth up. Over the years of dental surgery and braces they were able to bring the tooth down but I had a lot of other issues that occured and things were never quite right and I did not have the money to repair it. But now I am and feel thankful and very happy. Thank you for your kind help. This will change my life for the better. Thank you.

Elan Ferguson - New York , NY

I am so grateful for Cosmetic Dentistry Grants. I have been so unhappy with my appearance for many years and thought I would never get my smile back! Thanks to being selected for a $7,500 grant towards my implants, I have been given a second chance. I can now begin a new journey and smile again, I have so much appreciation for all involved.

Kara Maldonado - Laguna Niguel, CA

Dear Donor, I wanted to take this time to reach out and thank you for this grant. This will help me out in so many ways. I will be able to afford my costs to fix my mouth. I will be able to feel better about my smile after all is said and done. This will bring back my confidence and make me feel better when I open my mouth and smile. Thank you so much for the help that you have given me. It makes me feel so happy to know that you are helping me with my goal to fix my mouth. I appreciate everything that you have done for me. It is greatly appreciated! Because of your kindness, I will feel like a new man. Thank you so much again for everything!

Thomas Ryder - Elizabeth, NJ

I am very thankful to have been selected for the cosmetic dentistry grant and to Smile Select for helping me to achieve having a perfect smile. For about 8 years now I have grown up with braces on my teeth up until I needed my baby teeth removed, in which once tooth came down successfully and the other did not. Within time there was no progression and I was finally able to have options in getting my tooth back. Which did not feel possible at first. Luckily I overheard on the radio about the Cosmetic Dentistry Grants program and I have never felt so grateful to have been selected for this opportunity. I finally feel I am able to have a choice in getting the full smile I have dreamed of having. Thank you once again for making this possible for me.

Sabrina Reyes - Los Angeles, CA

Thank you so much for selecting me for the cosmetic dentistry grant. It will certainly help with the final cost.

Janis TettLos Angeles, CA

Thank you for the help with getting my teeth worked on. I could not be able to get the work done on my own insurance I have. I have been putting off the work I needed to get done. I am very grateful for the grant. Thank you again.

Mark Williams - Littlerock, CA

Thank you very much for selecting me for a dental grant in the amount of $7,500. I look forward to using this grant towards my dentistry and having a nice smile. I've been so unhappy with my teeth for quite a while and this has given me some hope. Thank you!

Nilda Vincenty - White Plains, NY