Gummy Smile Solution

By Author: James W Collins
Total Articles: 26
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A gummy smile is a condition when more of the gum structure is visible when a person smiles or opens the mouth. This is not normal, as the teeth should take center stage when smiling – more of the teeth should be seen, rather than the gums. A gummy smile can significantly decrease the attractiveness of the smile because it looks unnatural, and makes the teeth look abnormally small compared to the visible gum tissue. A gummy smile problem can be caused by a number of factors, such as:

* A short upper lip or a high lip line that results to the gums being always visible

* Worn teeth, causing them to look unnaturally small compared to the gum tissue supporting them

* Teeth that are not fully grown out or erupted from under the gum line, causing them to look abnormally small

* Hyperactive lip elevator muscle

* Jawbone deformities, such as the overgrowth of the upper jawbone

A gummy smile can also be the combination of more than one of the factors listed above, making the teeth look unattractively small compared to the rest of the gums that are readily ...
... visible even when the lips are at rest.

The gummy smile problem can be solved using a number of dental treatments. A gum reshaping procedure can be used to change the shape appearance of the gums so that the smile looks more natural. Using laser technology, the gums are safely reshaped to show more of the tooth structure to make the teeth look bigger in a normal manner. As the teeth are lengthened in comparison to the gums, the appearance of the smile is significantly improved. The procedure is also called crown lengthening or tooth contouring.

A gummy smile can also be caused by issues concerning the lips. When the upper lip is short or when the lip line is high, it causes the teeth and the gums to always be visible even at times when the lips are supposed to be at rest. In this case, plastic surgery can be performed to change the position of the upper lip, so that it will cover most of the teeth and gums when at rest. If the problem is a hyperactive lip elevator muscle, yet another treatment can improve the situation. Botulinum toxin (botox) is injected to the lip to relax the hyperactive muscle, as a result the lips take on a normal appearance as they fully cover the gums and teeth when at rest.

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