Fix Dark Gum Spots Without Scraping

When you think of perfecting the appearance of your smile, the color, shape, and symmetry of your teeth are probably the first things that come to mind. Beautiful teeth equal a beautiful smile, right? In some cases that’s true, but we also see a lot of patients who are frustrated with how their gums look when they smile. They may have perfect pearly whites but their gum tissue is unevenly pigmented which makes their smile appear asymmetrical. Uneven gingival pigmentation is particularly relevant when/if a person also has a “gummy” smile, meaning a significant portion of the gums is visible when smiling.

Up until recently, there were very few solutions for people with unwanted gum pigmentation. Some doctors would attempt to “scrape off” the pigmented tissue using lasers or knives. Not only was this an incredibly painful process, but it also yielded temporary results. The gum tissue would grow back with the same level of pigmentation. Melanin in the gum tissue is deeply rooted and cannot be removed as simply as a mole or freckle. Those you can just scrap off, but for gum depigmentation, you need a way to target the melanocytes (cells that produce melanin) without destroying the surrounding tissue. It was this train of thought that led Dr. Robert Stanley to develop britegums.

What is Britegums?

Britegums is a cosmetic gum “pinkening” method that uses radio waves and a special kind of brush to gently remove pigmentation on the gums. Dr. Stanley invented the Britegums process after having to turn away numerous patients who were looking for a gingival depigmentation solution that worked long-term. Unlike lasers or knives, radio waves (when used correctly) can eliminate both the melanin cells and the melanocytes so the pigmentation doesn’t return after the healing period. Patients are left with uniform, pink gums for life.

Is Britegums painful?

With Britegums, there’s zero “scraping”, burning, or cutting involved. There’s no bleeding (before or during the procedure) and the pain is low thanks to the local anesthetic used during the procedure. Throughout the healing period, some patients report mild discomfort that we recommend managing with Tylenol and Advil. Many patients don’t require any kind of pain killer and are back to work the day after their procedure!

Is Britegums right for me?

The perfect Britegums candidate has dark, uneven patches on their gums that are visible when smiling. They also have healthy gums and teeth. As with any cosmetic procedure, your dentist should treat all decay and/or disease in the mouth prior to the procedure. If your gums are already red and inflamed (the number one sign of periodontal disease), the britegums procedure could, potentially, make things worse. Make sure you’re brushing twice a day and flossing once a day to keep peak dental and gingival health.

Where can I get Britegums?

At the moment, the only place you can get Britegums done is here at Stanley Dentistry in Cary, North Carolina. The britegums team is looking to expand so look out for britegums providers near you in the next few years!

If you’re interested in getting Britegums and you don’t live in North Carolina, we offer complimentary virtual consultations so you can get all your questions answered before booking a trip. Just give our office a call and we’ll get you set up with either a FaceTime or Zoom consultation. We’ll see you soon!