A Gummy Smile Can Be Fixed

Quick summary

Cosmetic gum surgery, also called gum reshaping, can fix a gummy smile by recontouring excess gum tissue to create a more balanced ratio between your teeth and gums. A gummy smile occurs when excessive gum tissue covers your teeth, making them appear shorter, or when your upper lip rises too high when smiling. Periodontists perform this treatment to address five common causes, including abnormal tooth eruption, overactive upper lip muscle, jaw development, altered passive eruption, or hyperplastic growth of the maxillary skeletal base.

Key takeaways

• Schedule a consultation with a periodontist who specializes in cosmetic gum surgery to evaluate whether gum reshaping is right for your gummy smile.
• Ask your periodontist which of the five causes applies to you, such as abnormal tooth eruption, overactive lip muscle, jaw development, altered passive eruption, or hyperplastic growth.
• Cosmetic gum surgery removes excess gum tissue to create a more balanced, natural-looking smile with better tooth-to-gum proportions.
• You can achieve a more confident smile in minimal time through one of five periodontal procedures tailored to the specific cause of your gummy smile.

Your gummy smile doesn’t have to be the demise of your social life. Now, with periodontal treatment, you can enjoy the smile you’ve always wanted. With the use of one of five procedures, your gummy smile can be fixed so that you’ll have a more natural, broad smile. In a matter of minimal time these dental procedures will have you smiling with confidence.

What is a Gummy Smile?

Now that you’ve heard the term “gummy smile” you probably have a good idea of what the term means. You probably even know you have it. As you may suspect, a gummy smile is when you have excessive gum tissue covering your teeth, giving you the appearance of shorter teeth and large gums. It can also be seen when your upper lip rises too high, showing off the entirety of your teeth.

5 Causes of a Gummy Smile

There are five causes of a gummy smile, all of which can be resolved by a periodontist. Depending on the cause, there are also five different procedures to use to fix the problem.

1. Abnormal eruption of your teeth.
2. The muscle of your upper lip is overactive, causing it to move higher than normal.
3. How your jaw grew and developed, often protruding.
4. Due to developmental or genetic factors, an altered passive eruption (APE) of teeth.
5. Hyperplastic growth of the maxillary skeletal base.

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