Gummy smile
What is a gummy smile?
Do you feel embarrassed to smile because your beautiful teeth are overpowered by gum tissue? If you responded yes to this question, you may suffer from a condition called excessive gingival display, or “gummy smile.” A gummy smile can affect the aesthetics of your smile and can damage your confidence to show your pearly whites in a strong smile.
Causes of gummy smile
There are various causes of excessive gingival display. Every patient is different, however there are a few common causes that can lead to this condition.
The first deals with the muscle which controls the movement of your upper lip. If this muscle is hyperactive, it can cause your lip to rise higher. This rise in your lip leads to more exposure of your gum tissue.
The gum tissue that is in your upper jaw can also cause a gummy smile. Often this tissue can cause abnormal eruptions of teeth. This causes your teeth to look short and disproportionate even though in reality they are the correct size.
Another cause of gummy smile includes incorrect development of the jawbone. If the jawbone is protruding the gum tissue will as well, causing your smile to contain excessive gingival display.
How to fix a Gummy Smile?
Gummy smile correction will depend on the severity of the condition and the underlying causes. In some cases, it must be corrected to prevent additional problems. In other cases, fixing a gummy smile is done purely for cosmetic reasons.
Scaling and root planning is a two-step deep cleaning dental procedure. In the first part (scaling), one of our dental specialists will remove the tartar and plaque that has built up around the gumline. The second step is root planning, which involves smoothing out the roots to help the gums reattach to the teeth.
This procedure may require multiple visits, depending on the amount of cleaning that needs to be completed.
The use of veneers or crowns can help make teeth look longer and improve the tooth-to-gum ratio. Porcelain veneers (which can be matched to a patient’s natural tooth color) and crowns are non-invasive cosmetic methods of correcting a gummy smile and are appropriate to use when the underlying causes do not cause pain or discomfort.
One of the newer treatment options is using Botox for gummy smiles. This treatment is useful when the cause of the gummy smile is a hyperactive upper lip. The procedure involves injecting Botox into the upper lip muscles, which prevents excess movement of the upper lip when smiling.
Although using Botox for gummy smiles is a quick and easy process, the results are temporary, lasting anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Once the injection is given, patients normally see results in just 2 to 3 days.
If the gummy smile is caused by jaw or bite issues, orthodontic treatment (such as braces or Invisalign) can be used to treat the problem. Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) may also be used. TADs are small titanium dental implants that can help pull teeth into a position that will correct a gummy smile.
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