Gummy smiles are a common problem, caused by overgrowth of the gum tissue that then covers the teeth. This makes gums appear too visible, or simply too big, when smiling. This can cause a smile to look crooked or lop-sided, or make the teeth seem smaller than the gums. Gummy smiles can be easily corrected with a simple procedure known as cosmetic gum lifting or gum contouring. A local anaesthetic is applied to the gums, and a laser is used to trim away the small amounts of excess gum tissue and reshape the edges of the gums above the six front teeth that form the smile. The laser seals the blood vessels in the gums so that the tissue can heal quickly with relatively little discomfort to the patient. Not all dentists specialise in cosmetic dentistry, so it is important to find a dental practice that does a lot of cosmetic dental work including gum contouring. Gum contouring prices start from around £120.