Do you have a Gummy Smile?
Do you have a Gummy Smile?
Do you feel that an excess of the gums when you smile overshadow the appearance of your front teeth making them look smaller? Does your smile appear to be more pink due to the gums that are showing than white teeth? If your answer is "yes" to either of the above questions, you may have a "gummy smile “due to excessive display of the gums.
Reasons for a gummy smile
An extremely short upper lip which does not cover the gums of the upper teeth. The muscles of the lips are very active, hence while smiling the gums are exposed The upper jaw has outgrown the lower jaw and the lower jaw is too small Wearing off of the upper front teeth making them shorter and thus relatively more gums are seen If there is an excessive bulging projection of the upper jaw it results in a gummy smile. The teeth do not come out of the bone entirely during eruption, resulting in shorter teeth The gums don’t recede and cover the teeth, making them look shorter.
A gummy smile can dampen your smile and make you more self-conscious about it. The optimal smile flashes the least amount of gums possible. The gum tissue visible should have contours that are in harmony with the upper lip. However, it’s not just about the smile, a gummy smile could be an indicator of ant other underlying dental problems. It could be a result improper alignment of teeth or the jaws that did not grow properly. These reasons could in the long run damage your teeth and the entire chewing apparatus as well.
Treatments
Do you think you have got a gummy smile?
The treatments for a gummy smile includes
Lip re-positioning surgery: This process re-positions the muscles that raise the lip so it can no longer rise as far with a smile.
Gum surgery: This is done when the gums cover the teeth making them look shorter. A small part of the gums are cut exposing the tooth.
Jaw surgery: This is a more tedious process and involves moving the protruding upper jaw to the correct position surgically.
Orthodontics: Used if the gummy smile is because of ill aligned teeth. Braces are placed to bring the teeth back to the normal position.
Botox: Done in case of a hyperactive upper lip. A superficial injection of Botox is given in the upper lip. The movement of the lip decreases, thus preventing the display of the gums. This process is reversible and would require to be repeated every 4-6 months.
