What is Gummy Smile Correction?
Gummy Smile correction, also known as excessive gingival display has many causes and solutions. Too much gum seen when smiling, can be due to multiple things. Many patients ask, “How to fix a gummy smile,” the cause is what determines the treatment. There are non-surgical gummy smile solutions, laser treatment for gummy smile, and surgical corrections for gummy smile.
How much Gum is too much Gum? What is a Gummy Smile?
What is a gummy smile? A gummy smile is defined as an excess of 2 millimeters or more shown above the upper teeth when a person smiles. Gummy smiles can vary in severity. Mild gummy smile is 2–4 mm of gum showing when smiling, moderate gummy smile is 4–8 mm of gum showing when smiling, and severe gummy smile is over 8 mm. The gummy smile presentation can be caused by excess gum tissue, hyperactive lip muscles, jaw development issues, or anatomical tooth structure issues.
How a Gummy Smile can impact one’s Self Esteem
Excessive gummy smile or excessive gingival display can greatly impact one’s confidence in smiling or one’s desire to smile. In the day and age of social media, many people are exposed to physical esthetics and the perceived notions of what is considered physical beauty. Although the Bellavista Dentalcare Team finds beauty in every smile, Dr. B and the BellaVista Dentalcare team in Phoenix Arizona make sure to pay attention to the patient’s concerns and desires in their smile. Excessive gingival display is more often unfavorable in patient’s eyes.
Can teeth or a smile be covered by Gum? Can Teeth become covered by too much gum after Braces?
One cause is extra gum covering the tooth. Extra gum can naturally be covering part of the tooth structure. Extra gum tissue can also grow during braces. The gums become inflamed from the food and plaque around the brackets, and grow extra gum as a defense called hypertrophic gingiva. After braces come off, the extra gum can be surgically removed or removed with a professional laser. The down time is a couple days, and patients often describe it as feeling like a pizza burn.
My Dentist says my Teeth are short?
Another cause is due to having naturally short teeth. This is the natural formation of teeth which can be hereditary. The short teeth can be lengthened by surgically removing the gum and bone by a specialist. With this treatment, veneers or crowns will have to be placed to cover the exposed roots.
Gummy smile due to Skeletal positioning of the Upper Jaw or Maxilla.
More complex cause of gummy smile is that the upper jaw is positioned in such a way that the teeth are positioned too far below the upper lip. To correct this requires coordination between an orthodontist and oral surgeon to surgically reposition the upper jaw to show less gum when smiling.
Botox Treatment to treat the Gummy Smile and Lower the Upper Lip
In all these scenarios, botox treatment to the upper lip will lower the upper lip to cover the excessive gingival display. Sometimes the upper lip muscles have a strong pull when smiling, lifting the lip up higher than desired. In treating the upper lip, botox treatment can lessen the upper lip muscle pull, thus showing less gum when smiling. Botox treatment needs to be repeated every 3 – 4 months as the botox effect does wear away over time.
Conclusion
Your Dentist or Dr. Bhatnagar at BellaVista DentalCare can evaluate your smile to determine what treatment options you have to correct a Gummy Smile. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing personalized and comprehensive dental care to help you achieve and maintain a healthy smile and the desired smile you wish for. Contact BellaVista DentalCare to schedule your appointment and experience the benefits of regular dental checkups with our Ahwatukee dentist.