Gummy Smile Correction
A gummy smile is a when a person shows too much gums when they smile. This is often called excess gingival display of the gums. It takes a skilled periodontal surgeon to correct a gummy smile. Depending on the degree of excess display, several treatment options are available.
Causes of a Gummy Smile
There are several possible causes of gummy smile, including:
Excessive gingival display (gum display) in your upper jaw, is a result of abnormal eruption of the upper teeth. The teeth appear short since the gum tissue is overlapping the teeth even though they may actually be the proper length.
The muscle that controls the movement of your upper lip could be hyperactive, causing your upper lip to rise up higher than normal. When this occurs, more of your gum tissue is exposed when you smile.
The way in which your upper jaw bone grew during development could cause the appearance of a gummy smile. The upper jaw will have a protrusive appearance causing your upper lip to be pulled higher than usual.
Ways to Correct Gummy Smiles
Surgical lip repositioning.
Laser treatment of the gums.
Orthodontics (braces).
Surgical Sculpting of the gingival tissues and bone to create healthier and more attractive looking gum contours.
Maxillofacial surgery to reposition the bone.
For any questions or concerns regarding if this treatment is right for you, please contact our office to schedule you a consultation.