WHAT IS THE MEANING OF GUMMY SMILE?

This case type is where a smiling patient shows much more of the gums than would normally be seen. While a normal smile would only show all of the white tooth and only a small amount of gum tissue, the High Lip Line case shows the gum tissues sometimes as high as the tip of the root of the tooth. Patients can’t prevent the lip from going so high since that is their natural smile.

THREE TRADITIONAL METHODS FOR TREATING A GUMMY SMILE:

1. Orthodontics : Intrudes over erupted teeth and levels them to correct position so that it eliminates gingival display.

2. Periodontal surgery : Crown lengthening to move gingival levels apically, typically performed on short teeth.

3. Orthognathic surgery : Moves the maxilla in an apical direction impacting the maxilla. 4. For instances when these traditional methods of treatment won’t work, such as a patient has a hypermobile lip, there are a couple of non-traditional methods.

Botox : Studies suggest Botox, when injected into the muscles of the upper lip can to be an effective method; however, the improvement is temporary and must be repeated every 3-6 months.