The ideal amount of gum that you should show while smiling is about three millimetres.
If you show more than that, your gums can overpower your smile. Scientifically, this is known as “excessive gingival exposure”.
The perfect scenario would be having your lips conceal a large part of your gums, letting your teeth be the focal point of your smile.
Gentle Smile Dental Studio can help you achieve an ideal smile using various methods.
How We Turn Gummy Smiles Into Gentle Smiles
You may have a gummy smile if you have small teeth, overly thick gums, short or hypermobile lips, or a protruding upper jaw bone. There are four main ways that we remedy your gummy smile:
- Laser gum contouring
- Lip repositioning
- BTX
- Jaw surgery
Laser Gum Shaping Or Recontouring
This minimally invasive procedure uses a laser to move back your gum line, and is done under local anesthetic.
The amount of tissue removed varies according to the shape of your gum and mouth.
BTX
At our Gentle Smile Dental Studio, we offer a new treatment that involves injecting BTX into those muscles.
The results are impressive as most patients see a significant reduction in their gummy smile.
When injected into the muscles between your upper lip and nose, prevents your lips from elevating when you smile, thus concealing the gum line.
There is little pain and risk, and minimal downtime.
Lip Repositioning Surgery
This procedure fixes a gummy smile if the cause is a hypermobile upper lip, which is a lip that rises too high when you grin, leading to an excessive exposure of the gum. In lip repositioning surgery, doctors remove tissue from the upper lip so that it can rest lower to cover the gum.
Jaw Surgery
If you exhibit a pronounced gummy smile, dentists might propose this surgical solution. They’ll assess the extent of gum exposure, the resting lip position, and potential alternative treatments.
The surgery involves repositioning the upper jaw to minimise gum visibility, creating a balanced appearance between the upper and lower teeth.
Additionally, a correctly aligned jaw ensures an optimal bite, reducing tooth wear over time.
Why Do I Have A Gummy Smile?
For Singaporeans, the main reasons why you have a gummy smile include:
Short Teeth
Adult teeth emerge partially from the gums, with a portion remaining hidden.
If they don’t emerge sufficiently, they appear “under-erupted,” making the smile seem gummy due to the proportion of visible gums.
Over time, factors like stress may lead to nocturnal bruxism, especially in high-stress societies like Singapore.
Nightly teeth grinding gradually shortens the teeth, amplifying the gummy appearance. This change is subtle, often noticeable only over several years.
Jaw-related Gummy Smile
The jaw naturally seeks to avoid gaps between the upper and lower teeth. If teeth erode, both the jawbone and gum adjust downwards to compensate.
In Singapore, diets rich in acidity, with foods and drinks like bubble tea, ice kacang, and pineapple tarts, contribute to tooth erosion.
Teeth grinding also creates minor gaps, prompting jaw adjustments.
Additionally, some may experience excessive upper jaw growth, leading to a more pronounced gummy appearance.
Hypermobile Or Short Upper Lip
The upper lip is crucial in determining the appearance of one’s smile as they hide your gums. If you have a thicker upper, then you will be able to hide more of your gums. On the other hand, if your lips are thinner, then you might expose more gums.
Apart from lip thickness, the degree of lip movement between a resting face and a smile also plays a role. Individuals with highly mobile lips might show more gums, as their lips move significantly when they smile.
Get to Know Your Gummy Smile Dentist
Hi, I’m Dr. Kelvin Chua
I am the clinical director for Gentle Smile Dental Studio.
My clinic’s goal is to help you craft a smile that you can feel confident about.
To give you a pleasant and gentle experience, I attend conferences to keep up with the latest methods and technology.
Since 2017, I have lectured regionally in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and South Korea on aesthetics, laser dentistry and digital dentistry.
Get in touch and we’ll discuss how to craft your perfect smile!
Timelines and Prices
Treating gummy smiles requires a customised treatment plan based on your specific situation.
The most common treatments are BTX and laser gum contouring.
| Treatment | Time | Cost |
| BTX | 5-10 mins | $350 |
| Laser Gum Contour (per tooth) | 1 hour | $250+ |
BTX
BTX only takes 5-10 minutes and can be performed on the same day of the consultation.
Cost is $350 with one complimentary top up within a month.
Laser Gum Contouring
Laser gum contouring takes one hour and is priced at $250 per tooth, while extensive cases requiring bone removal cost $450 per tooth.
With laser gum contouring, we will show you the reduction of your gummy smile with our Digital Smile Design preview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gummy smiles are a normal variation in smile aesthetics and will not cause any physical problems. However, a study has shown that showing too much gums resulted in participants lowering the rating of a person.
Yes, gummy smiles can be corrected through non-surgical means like laser gum contouring and BTX. For other cases, we can also use surgical methods.
As the jaw plays a part in your smile, Invisalign can help reduce a gummy smile. Our dentists can help you determine the best course of treatment.
Factors include jaw position, lip length, or gum tissue health.
$350 with one complimentary top up within a month.
Laser gum contouring starts at $250.
Book An Appointment
+65 9321 3232
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