Your smile is a sneak peek into your confidence. However, for some people, their smile reveals more than they would want to show. A gummy smile leads to self-consciousness and loss of poise. If you or someone you know is battling this issue, knowing about its causes and potential solutions can be of great help and this blog is aimed at that! Let’s dive into the details; what actually a gummy smile is, and measures your dentist can take to deal with it.
Understanding the Causes of a Gummy Smile
Gummy smiles are both due to genetic and self-created factors. Here’s a closer look at what causes them:
- Increased Gum Tissue: Sometimes, excessive gum tissue can develop, covering more portions of teeth to create a gummy appearance. This overgrowth occurs when permanent teeth emerge.
- Gum Infection and Inflammation: Gum infections bring along swelling and inflammation, causing the gums to cover more of the teeth than they should.
- Poor Bite: Inherited poor jaw alignment causes the upper jaw to move too far forward, resulting in excessive gum exposure when smiling.
- Hyperactive Upper Lip: Genetics also plays a crucial role, with hyperactive upper lip muscles lifting the lip while smiling.
Treatment Options
We bear good news. There are multiple methods that can help transform your gummy smile. The route of action depends on its underlying cause. Some common procedures include:
- Orthodontic Treatment: For mild to moderate cases due to misaligned teeth or jaws, orthodontic treatments such as braces or clear aligners can slowly correct the problem, reducing gum exposure.
- Scaling and Root Planing: The process entails deep professional-grade cleaning to treat gum infections and inflammation. It helps gums to reattach the teeth, eliminating the fleshy appearance.
- Crown Lengthening Process (Gingivectomy): Dentists can easily remove gum tissue delicately in a minimally invasive procedure known as crown lengthening. It is usually combined with laser contouring with crowns or veneers for a finished look.
- Laser Gum Contouring: The gum line is reshaped by moving it backward to get rid of extra gum exposure.
- Veneers or Crowns: Adding crowns or veneers creates the illusion of longer teeth, improving the balance between teeth and gums when smiling. This approach is useful alone or in combination with other procedures.
- Upper Lip Lowering: In this surgical process, a gum section is removed, and the remaining ones are stitched together to create a shorter look for the upper lip.
- Lip Repositioning Surgery: A lip repositioning surgery involves moving the upper lip downward to conceal gum tissue.
- Botox: Is comparatively a newer option to treat a gummy smile. While it is common to reduce wrinkles, Botox restricts the over-contraction of upper lip muscles, reducing gum exposure.
Closing Note
A gummy smile may sometimes be a source of discomfort, along with cosmetics but there are various methods to fix it, depending on the underlying causes. Perio Health professionals are dedicated to providing you with optimal oral health. So, contact us at (713) 783-5442 or give us a visit at 3400 S Gessner Rd # 102, Houston, TX 77063, United States, for more information on the treatment options we have in store for you!