Being, long in the tooth is something else that happens as we age that dentistry can help with. As we get older our gums can recede up on the top teeth or down on the bottom teeth. As the gums recede, they reveal more tooth, making the tooth look longer. Hence the expression long in the tooth. Not a very complementary expression and one that all of us hope to never hear. That said if you look in the mirror and see that you are getting long in the tooth know that there are dental procedures that can improve this appearance. Perhaps you are the opposite of long in the tooth and rather have a gummy smile. In other words when you smile you show just as much gum tissue as teeth. Modern dentistry has different solutions for this problem as well. In some cases, a simple procedure using a dental laser can remove excess gum tissue and reduce the gummy appearance.