What is a gummy smile?

Like its name suggests, a gummy smile is where too much of your gum line shows when you grin. It draws negative attention to the mouth and can cause self-consciousness or embarrassment that inhibits you from smiling or expressing yourself naturally. 

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Laser gum shaping or recontouring 

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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.



 

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. The result is permanent.


Botox


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• Botox is a fast way to rectify a gummy smile. When injected into the muscles between your upper lip and nose, it freezes them to prevent your lips from elevating when you smile, thus concealing the gum line. The effect wears off in three to six months, but because there is no surgery involved, there is little pain and risk, and minimal downtime. At our clinic, we offer a new treatment that involves injecting Botox into those muscles. The results are impressive as most patients see a significant reduction in their gummy smile.

 

Remedying a gummy smile

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 many ways to remedy the problem, with the options differing in their level of invasiveness and permanence. ​

If you are dealing with gummy smile problems, consult us today to see which solution is right for you. 

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