Becoming A More Beautiful Version of Yourself

Should You Have Surgery To Cure A Gummy Smile?

5 January 2016

Leo Niva

If you've spent years dissatisfied with the way your gums seem to dominate your smile in candid photos and videos, you may be wondering whether it's finally time to take the plunge into surgery to reduce their prominence. Fortunately, there are now some relatively inexpensive treatment options that may be able to improve your appearance without going under the knife. Read on to learn more about some of your most effective treatments for a gummy smile, as well as a few situations in which surgery may be your best option. 

Is it possible to reduce the size of your gums without surgery?

In some cases, a gummy smile isn't due to too-big gums, but to the placement of your upper lip when you smile. If your lip curls upward or tends to sneer in a resting position, you may be exposing more gum tissue than needed. In these situations, botox injections are often the most effective way to change the way your lip moves by temporarily paralyzing or restricting movement of the muscles responsible for this extra gum exposure. After several courses of treatment, you may be able to "train" your lip from reverting to its previous position to permanently alter the appearance of your smile without requiring repeated injections over the course of years. 

When is gum surgery the best way to fix a gummy smile?

There are a few situations in which it can be important to correct a gummy smile by reducing gum tissue or adding porcelain veneers to damaged teeth. In some cases, your gums' relatively low exposure can make them more vulnerable to injury from a sharp piece of food. In other situations, your gums have actually grown to compensate for wear and tear on your teeth. As the biting surface of your teeth (particularly front teeth) are slowly worn away over time, your gums will grow to ensure that your teeth remain in the same position. 

In either case, your dentist should be able to carefully remove the excess gum tissue to give your teeth center stage when you smile. If your gum issues were due to erosion of your teeth, you may also have protective ceramic veneers placed on these teeth to help resist further wear. This outpatient process is brief and relatively pain-free, and you should be home recovering comfortably just a few hours after your gum surgery begins. Any stitches should be removed after a week or two, after which time your gums should be completely healed. Contact a practice, such as the Oral And Maxillofacial Surgical Associates, for more information.   

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