The appeal of a smile lies in the balance between perception and facial feature aesthetics. For most people smiling is an expression of happiness, but for individuals whose gums stand out more than their smile, this expression of happiness can be over shadowed with self-consciousness.

To Smile Or Nawt To Smile, That’s The Big Gummy Question – A mega watt smile with the perfect show of pearly whiles and no pink is considered a beauty hallmark. While smiling, if the upper lip is stretched up so high that a ribbon of pinkish gum is exposed, this is called a “gummy smile”. While defining a gummy smile common consensus among aesthetic surgeons is: anything over three to four millimeters of gum showing should be labeled under ‘gummy’.
If you have a gummy smile and are wondering why? – There are a variety of reasons that can lead up to a gummy smile; most commonly a short upper lip, excessive gum tissue or small teeth, all of which are genetic.

Gummy Bears Are Cute Gummy Grins Are Nawt – A gummy smile can have a negative affect on the aesthetics of your smile and spirits; good news is there are several options available to correct it.

OnabotulinumToxinA To The Rescue – Injecting Botox into the upper lip “elevator” muscles can act as a quick fix to the gummy smile. Botox paralyzes the muscles, inhibiting contraction of the upper lip while smiling to prevent the gummy show. The procedure is relatively simple, takes less than 5 minutes to perform, and not very expensive either. A single treatment can last up to 3-4 months and you will need to top up periodically after that.

Laser Gum Resection: This involves removing extra gum tissue and repositioning the gum line. Erbium lasers are frequently employed to re-contour the gum around the gummy part of the teeth. Safe and stitch-free, the procedure takes less than an hour per arch, rarely causes swelling, and yields immediate, permanent results with minimal downtime, though it does cost a heap load more than botox injections.

Orthodontic Surgery: In the past, surgery was the main treatment option, but most people find it overtly costly and painful. Doctors sever the muscles that elevate the upper lip so it can no longer rise as high, or they do a crown lengthening procedure that cuts away gum tissue so the crown appears longer. In certain extreme cases, orthognathic surgery can be performed, which repositions the upper jaw if it sticks out too much. But this can be complicated and can take up to two years to complete and cost you a buck load of dough too.

Smile, have a look in a mirror and if you don’t like what you see, smile again as modern medicine is ready to put a perfect smile on your face.