How do you fix a gummy smile?

If your smile exposes more of your gums than you would prefer, and you would like to modify your smile, talk to your dentist or orthodontist about treatment. Gummy smiles can be caused by a number of possible issues, including the shape of the lips, jaw, or teeth, or the amount of gum tissue present. In many cases, the teeth erupt into the mouth abnormally and are covered by excessive gum tissue. Some people have hyperactive muscles in their upper lips, causing the lips to pull back and expose an excessive amount of gum tissue when smiling. The shape of the jawbone may also affect the visibility of the gum tissue. A gummy smile is one of the more common aesthetic impairments treated by orthodontists, and there are quite a few effective treatments available. Depending on the cause of the gummy smile, some patients have their upper lips surgically repositioned to cover more of the gum line. Other patients choose a more temporary but less invasive treatment, Botox injections. Because the lip position is dictated by a hyperactive muscle, an injection of botulinum toxin can relax the muscle and allow the lip to rest more comfortably over the gum line. When the gummy smile is due to an excess of gum tissue, a periodontist might contour or level the gum tissue in a procedure called a “gingivectomy,” removing and reshaping gum tissue. A number of people have a gummy smile because their teeth erupted abnormally into their mouths, leading to teeth that are a normal length but haven’t emerged fully into the gum tissue, causing the teeth to appear smaller and covered with an excessive amount of tissue. These patients will then undergo crown-lengthening surgery, which also necessitates the removal of gum tissue, followed by surgical modification of the underlying bone and a resculpting of the gum line, making the tooth appear longer and minimizing the amount of gum tissue.

The treatment your dentist chooses will depend on the underlying cause of the issue. If the underlying reason for your gummy smile is because of the placement of the jaws or teeth, orthodontics can help. Orthodontics move the teeth, adjusting the bite and sometimes making the gums appear less prominent. Sometimes, if the jaw itself protrudes, your dentist may recommend a combination of orthodontic treatment and jaw surgery. This surgery involves contouring the upper jaw, sculpting it to the correct size and repositioning it with plates and screws.

Usually, in cases where surgery is recommended, your orthodontist will start orthodontic treatment with braces, to begin the process of reshaping and moving the jaw; then, once the process has begun, surgery will be performed, and orthodontic treatment will continue after surgery. This combination of surgery and orthodontic treatment has a lengthy recovery time and may be costly, but the process yields dramatic and satisfying long-term results. If the smile appears gummy because the teeth are too short, either due to genetics or wear, your dentist may recommend veneers or crowns, which are placed over the surface of the teeth and make the teeth appear longer. Some people simply have excessive gum tissue. If this is the case, a periodontist can remove excessive gum tissue, in a procedure called a “gingivectomy,” reshaping the gums to increase the exposure of the teeth and enhance the appearance of your smile. A similar procedure can be performed if the teeth haven’t fully erupted; this is called crown-lengthening surgery. Other restorative procedures include lip repositioning surgery, laser contouring, and botox. Treatments vary widely, and it is very important to determine the exact cause of the gummy smile before determining the treatment plan.

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