Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
in Marlton, NJ
 Cosmetic periodontal surgery at Periodontal Health Professionals in Marlton, NJ improves the appearance of your gum line through procedures handled by board-certified periodontist Dr. Gail Childers.
If you've ever felt that your smile shows too much gum, that your teeth look uneven because the gums sit at different heights, or that gum recession has made your front teeth look longer than they used to, those are the situations where cosmetic perio surgery can make a meaningful difference.
Cosmetic gum work sits at the intersection of periodontology and aesthetics. The same surgical precision used to treat gum disease applies here, but the goal shifts from disease management to balanced, healthy-looking gum architecture around your teeth. Some patients come in pursuing aesthetic improvements directly; others discover that perio surgery is the missing piece in a larger smile makeover their general or cosmetic dentist has been planning.
Our Marlton office is one of two Periodontal Health Professionals locations in South Jersey. The full scope of periodontal services we offer includes the cosmetic work covered here as well as gum disease care, dental implants, and regenerative procedures. For patients closer to the Gloucester County area, the same cosmetic perio work is also available at our Turnersville cosmetic periodontal surgery location.
On This Page
What Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery Addresses
Cosmetic perio surgery isn't one procedure. It's a category that covers several different concerns about the way your gums frame your teeth. Patients usually come in worried about one of these:
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A gummy smile – The gums show prominently when you smile, making the teeth look short even when they're a normal length. The gummy smile treatment options page covers this concern and the different approaches we use to address it.
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Gum recession – The gums have pulled back from one or more teeth, exposing root surfaces and making the affected teeth look longer than their neighbors. More on the condition itself is on our gum recession treatment page.
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An uneven gum line – The gum height varies from tooth to tooth in a way that catches the eye when you smile. Gingival contouring is the most common fix here.
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Short or worn-down teeth – The teeth appear too short, often because the gums extend over more of the tooth than they should. Crown lengthening can expose more tooth structure for a balanced look or to support restorative work.
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Coordination with cosmetic dentistry – Veneer, crown, or implant cases sometimes need perio work first to get the gum line right before the final restorations are placed. |
Most patients have one primary concern that brings them in, but cosmetic consultations often surface a second related issue. Someone who came in for gummy smile correction may also have one tooth where the gum line sits higher than its neighbors. Someone planning a porcelain veneer case may need crown lengthening on a few teeth to give the lab enough tooth structure to work with. We address what's relevant to your specific case at consultation.
One important note: if active gum disease is present, we treat that first. Cosmetic perio surgery depends on healthy gum tissue and stable bone, which means treating any underlying periodontitis is the first step before aesthetic work begins. Cases involving active periodontitis usually start on the gum disease treatment side before moving to the cosmetic plan.
Procedures We Offer
 Each procedure below addresses a specific concern. Dr. Childers walks through which approach – or which combination – fits your case at consultation, with reference to actual before-and-after work on our Smile Gallery when it helps you visualize outcomes.
Gingival Contouring
Gingival contouring reshapes the gum line to create a more even, symmetrical appearance around your teeth. This is often the right fit for patients with a gummy smile where excess gum tissue covers part of the tooth, or for patients whose gum line sits at different heights from tooth to tooth. Depending on the case, we use either traditional surgical techniques or laser-assisted methods.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening removes a measured amount of gum tissue, and sometimes underlying bone, to expose more of the tooth above the gum line. The cosmetic version of this procedure makes short-looking teeth appear more proportionate, especially in cases where the gum extends too far down over the tooth. We also use crown lengthening as preparation for crowns, veneers, or other restorations that need more tooth structure to attach to.
Gum Grafting
Gum grafting addresses gum recession by transplanting tissue from another area of the mouth, or using donor material, to cover exposed root surfaces. For cosmetic cases, grafting restores a more even gum line, reduces the long-tooth appearance recession creates, and stops further recession from progressing. The grafted area integrates with the surrounding gum over a few months.
Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique
The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional gum grafting for recession. We make small pinhole-sized entry points and gently move the existing gum tissue down to cover the exposed roots, placing collagen strips to hold the new position. There are no scalpels or sutures involved, recovery is faster than with traditional grafting, and Dr. Childers holds Certification in the technique.
Each of these procedures has trade-offs in recovery, cost, and how predictable the cosmetic outcome is for your specific case. We give you honest, case-by-case guidance rather than pushing a single approach as the answer for every patient.
Your Cosmetic Periodontal Specialist
Dr. Gail Childers is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, which means he completed a three-year residency in periodontics after dental school and passed the board's certifying examination. The Dr. Gail Childers bio page covers his full credentials and faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.
For cosmetic perio cases, three parts of Dr. Childers's background matter most. He has 30 years of specialty experience focused exclusively on periodontics and dental implants. He holds Certification in the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique, the minimally invasive approach for treating gum recession through small pinhole-sized entry points. And he uses laser-assisted techniques for gum recontouring, which can mean less post-operative swelling than traditional surgical methods in suitable cases.
He's also a Fellow of the International Team of Implantology. That matters for cosmetic cases involving future implant placement or existing implant-supported restorations, where the gum architecture needs to coordinate with implant work.
The aesthetic side of perio surgery rewards experience – knowing how much gum to remove (or how little), how a graft will mature over six months, how the tissue around an adjacent veneer will behave. Those judgment calls improve with the volume of cases a periodontist has handled, which is where Dr. Childers's depth of specialty practice translates into a meaningful difference at the chair.
Your Cosmetic Consultation and Treatment
 The first step is a consultation focused specifically on what you want changed and what's realistic for your case. We look at the gum architecture, the underlying bone, the tooth proportions, and how the gums frame your smile when you talk and laugh. Our TRIOS digital scanner and clinical photos let us model what the result will look like before any decision is made.
If you're already working with a cosmetic dentist or a general dentist on a larger restorative plan, we coordinate directly with their office. The cosmetic perio piece often sits in the middle of the sequence: gum disease treatment first (if needed), then the cosmetic gum work, then the final restorations like veneers or crowns. We walk through the order and timing so each piece supports the next.
We complete most cosmetic perio procedures in a single appointment at our Marlton office with local anesthesia. Gum recontouring and crown lengthening visits typically run 60 to 90 minutes. Gum grafting and pinhole technique visits run a bit longer. After the procedure, you'll have specific care instructions for the first week of healing – soft foods, gentle brushing around the treated area, and avoiding anything that might disturb the new gum position. Most patients return to normal activities the same day or the next.
The cosmetic result takes time to fully mature. For gum reshaping, you'll see the final contour within the first two to three weeks. For grafting and pinhole procedures, the tissue continues to mature over several months as the new attachment fully integrates with the surrounding gum.
Benefits of Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
The visible result is the most direct benefit. Most patients notice the cosmetic change immediately, and the final result settles in over the following weeks or months as the gums fully heal. After 30 years of cosmetic perio work, Dr. Childers's preference leans toward conservative, subtle improvements rather than dramatic corrections – the changes we make tend to look natural rather than obvious.
For patients pursuing larger smile makeovers, cosmetic perio surgery often unlocks restorative work that wasn't possible otherwise. A veneer case where the gum line is uneven would never look quite right without first leveling the gums. A crown that needs more tooth structure to grip cleanly can sometimes only be done after crown lengthening exposes the necessary surface. Many of our cosmetic perio cases come in as multi-step plans coordinated directly with the patient's general or cosmetic dentist, with the perio work timed so the final restorations land on stable, healed tissue.
Treating gum recession through grafting or the pinhole technique brings functional benefits alongside the aesthetic ones. Exposed root surfaces are sensitive to temperature and more prone to decay than enamel-protected tooth surfaces; covering them improves comfort, reduces sensitivity, and protects long-term oral health. Recession that's caught and treated tends not to progress further once we've re-established the gum line.
For patients who have been self-conscious about their smile for years, the change extends beyond the visible result. Patients tell us they smile more readily after cosmetic gum work – in photos, in conversations, in the everyday moments where they used to hold back. Our before-and-after work is on the Smile Gallery for patients who want to see what these procedures actually produce.
Why Choose Our Practice for Cosmetic Perio
Three things shape how cosmetic perio surgery works at our Marlton office. The first is specialist focus. Dr. Childers has practiced periodontics and dental implants exclusively for 30 years, not as part of a general dental practice where cosmetic perio is one of many services. The depth of experience translates directly into the case-by-case judgment that cosmetic outcomes depend on.
The second is technique range. Traditional surgical gingival contouring, laser-assisted gum reshaping, traditional gum grafting, and the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique are all options at our office, and Dr. Childers holds Certification in the Chao Pinhole approach specifically. Having the full range of techniques means we can match the procedure to the case rather than fitting the case to the one procedure we know.
The third is collaboration with restorative dentists. Many of our cosmetic perio patients arrive as referrals from general or cosmetic dentists planning veneer, crown, or implant cases. We work closely with the referring office throughout treatment, share imaging and notes, and time each piece of the work so the final restorative result is what the patient and the restorative dentist had in mind. If you're coming to us directly without a restorative referral, we'll help you find the right restorative dentist for the rest of the work if you need one.
On the technology side, our Advanced Technology page covers the imaging, ultrasonic, and PRP/PRF systems we use across both periodontal and cosmetic perio cases.
Cost and Payment Options for Cosmetic Perio
Cost matters, and cosmetic perio surgery is one area where being straightforward up front pays off. Most insurance plans treat purely cosmetic gum procedures as elective and don't cover them. There are exceptions: when a gum graft is medically necessary because recession has reached the point of root sensitivity or bone exposure, some plans cover that portion. Crown lengthening that's part of a restorative case (preparing for a crown or bridge) is often partly covered. Cosmetic-only cases, like gingival contouring purely for aesthetics, tend to be out-of-pocket.
We give you a clear, itemized estimate after your consultation so you know exactly what each piece costs and which (if any) parts your insurance may cover. For patients without insurance coverage or with limited coverage for cosmetic work, we offer discount programs and payment plans for qualifying situations – more on our insurance and financing options.
Schedule a Cosmetic Consultation in Marlton
If you've been considering cosmetic gum work, the consultation is the first practical step. We'll review your case and talk through what cosmetic perio surgery can and can't do for your situation. Call us at (856) 702-4340 or request an appointment online. Our Marlton office is at 48 South Maple Ave, Marlton, NJ 08053. For questions before booking, our Contact page is the easiest way to reach us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my gums look natural after cosmetic gum surgery?
In most cases, yes – that's the goal. The result depends heavily on how carefully the case is planned and executed. Conservative procedures (gingival contouring, gum grafting, the pinhole technique) when done by a periodontist with cosmetic experience produce subtle improvements that look like your gums always sat that way. The cases that end up looking worked on typically come from over-correction, which is why honest case-by-case judgment matters at the consultation.
How long does the cosmetic result last?
Most cosmetic perio results are long-lasting, often permanent, when paired with good oral hygiene and routine dental care. Gum recontouring tends to be very stable once the tissue has fully healed. Gum grafting and pinhole results integrate over several months and then hold their position long-term. Crown lengthening is permanent – the tissue and bone removed during the procedure don't grow back. Behaviors that contributed to recession in the first place (aggressive brushing, untreated gum disease, certain bite issues) can still cause new problems over time, so we talk through prevention as part of the treatment plan.
Does insurance cover cosmetic periodontal surgery?
For purely cosmetic procedures, like gingival contouring just for appearance, insurance typically doesn't cover the cost. When the procedure has a clear medical or functional component – gum grafting for recession that's causing sensitivity or bone exposure, crown lengthening as preparation for a restorative crown – some plans cover part of the cost. Our front desk verifies your specific benefits before treatment and will work with your insurance to clarify what's covered, so the picture is clear before the work begins. More on our insurance and financing options.
Will cosmetic gum surgery hurt?
Most cosmetic perio procedures are done with local anesthesia, and most patients describe the appointment itself as comfortable. The first few days of recovery involve some tenderness and mild swelling around the treated area, manageable with over-the-counter or prescribed pain medication. The Chao Pinhole technique is generally more comfortable than traditional grafting for recession cases because it avoids scalpels and sutures.
How long is recovery from cosmetic gum surgery?
Recovery varies by procedure. Gingival contouring and laser-assisted gum reshaping typically heal within one to two weeks. Crown lengthening healing is similar, though the final tissue position can take a few weeks longer to stabilize. Gum grafting and pinhole procedures involve about a week of careful eating and gentle brushing around the treated area, with full tissue maturation over several months. Most patients return to work and normal activities the next day after any of these procedures.
Can cosmetic gum work be combined with veneers or crowns?
Often yes, and the perio work usually comes first. The gum line shapes how veneers and crowns look once they're placed, so getting the gums right is part of getting the final restorative result right. We coordinate directly with your cosmetic or general dentist on the sequence and timing of each step, and we wait the appropriate healing time after gum work before the final restorations go in.
What if I have gum disease and want cosmetic work too?
We treat the gum disease first. Operating on actively diseased tissue produces unpredictable cosmetic results, and any aesthetic improvements made on inflamed gums tend to shift as the inflammation resolves. The typical timeline: a few months of gum disease care and stabilization, then the cosmetic plan moves forward. Both pieces happen at our Marlton office, and the Marlton gum disease page walks through the disease side in detail.
Why see a periodontist instead of a cosmetic dentist for cosmetic gum work?
Periodontists are the specialty trained in surgical procedures involving gum tissue and bone. The clinical work in cosmetic perio surgery – precise tissue removal, predictable graft outcomes, judgment about how the tissue will mature – is the same skill set used in periodontal disease treatment, applied to aesthetic cases. Many cosmetic dentists refer their gum-architecture cases to a periodontist for exactly this reason. |
