5 Gummy Smile Makeover Procedures To Fix Your Smile

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A Gummy smile is among the most common issues that dentists deal with on a daily basis. Your smile is considered gummy when it shows a lot of your gum tissues in proportion to your teeth. In this case, the distance between your upper lip and upper teeth is more than 2mm.

For a smile to appear proportionate, this distance should be about 0 to 2mm. In most cases, this condition only affects the way your smile looks while in others it can also lead to a persistent discomfort

If you suffer from a gummy smile, then you will be glad to know that there are a variety of gummy smile makeover procedures available that can help you fix this issue permanently.

There are both invasive and non-invasive makeover procedures that you can select to get rid of a gummy smile. But before you get into these, it is better to know what causes a gummy smile.

Common Causes of a Gummy Smile

Before you go ahead and choose a treatment for your gummy smile, you need to address the underlying issue that is causing it. This can help you pick the most effective solution for your gummy smile conundrum.

Following are some of the most common causes of excessive gingival display or a gummy smile:

  • Abnormal Teeth

In this case, your teeth erupt in your gums and are mostly covered by the gum tissues. This makes your gums appear much bigger than the size of your teeth and that leads to a gummy smile.

  • Hyperactive Upper Lip

This happens when your upper lip is higher than the normal amount. Due to this condition, your gums are exposed to a great extent which affects your smile.

  • Excessive Gum Tissue Growth

Another cause of a gummy smile is when there is excessive growth of the gum tissues, especially above the upper teeth. 

  • Gingival Hyperplasia

This condition is characterized by the inflammation of gums which can be caused by bacteria, medication, diabetes, leukemia, etc. Without the treatment of gingival hyperplasia, you cannot permanently get rid of your gummy smile.

  • Jaw Development Issues

In this case, there is a protrusion in your upper jaw during its development phase. This abnormality can lead to a gummy smile.

5 Effective Gummy Smile Makeover Procedures

Now that you know the cause behind your gummy smile, you can easily select the most effective makeover procedure for yourself. It is advised that you consult an experienced dentist before finalizing the treatment plan. This will give you peace of mind that you are not making any wrong decisions.

Here are some of the most popular gummy smile makeover treatments that you need to consider

  1. Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic problems like asymmetrical jaw alignment or bites can be painful and uncomfortable. These conditions can be treated with the help of orthodontic treatments which involve the use of appliances like braces.

The orthodontic treatment fixes alignment issues by moving your teeth to their correct position. This treatment makes your gums appear smaller by preventing the alignment of the teeth in the direction of the gumline.

  1. Veneers or Crowns

These treatments are used when your teeth are very short compared to your gum tissues. Your teeth can get short either because of genetic issues or excessive wear and tear.

With veneers and crowns, you can adjust your teeth in such a way that they make your smile look more attractive. This treatment makes your teeth appear bigger which balances out the proportion of teeth and gum to make your smile uniform.

  1. Hyaluronic Acid Infiltration

This relatively new treatment involves injecting a certain amount of hyaluronic acid into the paranasal region.

This limits the mobility of the side muscles in that area which prevents the upper lip from rising when you smile. This treatment is a great alternative to Botox except for the fact that you cannot use it for all cases of the gingival display.

  1. Gum Contouring

The most popular gum contouring methods are crown lengthening surgery and gingivectomy. These processes involve the removal of excess gum tissues followed by the contouring of the gum line.

Gingivectomy is a surgical approach where the extra gum tissues are carefully removed and the remaining are reshaped to match your face. After this procedure, you can expect to feel normal in about one week. 

The crown lengthening procedure is used when a lot of gum tissue needs to be removed. In this case, the dentist can perform the surgery to lengthen your crowns. 

This procedure involves the sculpting of the remaining gum tissues and teeth so that your teeth become more visible as compared to the size of the gums. The results of this treatment become visible in about 4 to 6 weeks.

  1. Lip Repositioning Surgery

You need this surgery when your upper lip is short and hyperactive which leads to excessive exposure of your gums. This treatment is done by making two incisions at your gum line.

After that, a thin line of gum tissue is removed and then it is sutured to a lower point. This minimally invasive surgery does not affect the shape of your lips or your facial features in any way.

The healing duration for lip repositioning surgery is about 14 days. You might feel some bruising and discomfort during this time which goes away on its own after a while.

Final Thoughts

There are quite a few ways you can fix the gummy smile issue. You can choose from the surgical and non-surgical options based on your underlying conditions and specific medical history.

A Gummy smile doesn’t have major health risks in most cases. It is a very common condition and it can often be treated with non-invasive procedures if the underlying causes are not that serious.

There is no need to go for surgical treatments if you feel okay with the way your gummy smile appears. However, if the gummy smile is causing you to feel self-conscious and stressed, then by all means choose a treatment that suits your needs best.       

Visit Specialist Dental Services and book an appointment with us for professional gummy smile treatment services in the UK.

Prof. Shakeel Shahdad

Shakeel is one of the leading dentists in london, Consultant and Honorary Clinical Professor at The Royal London Dental Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London. Shakeel specialises in treating patients requiring complex and advanced restorative treatment including surgical placement and restoration with dental implants.

Posted On : April 27, 2023

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