How to fix a Gummy Smile ?
March 10, 2020 12:28 pmA person’s smile is a huge identifying factor of their personality – and one of their trademarks. Sometimes, when a person smiles, too much gum shows above their upper teeth – a condition known as gummy smile, or excessive gingival display in medical terms. While this condition may have no medical risk in most cases, people with gummy smiles often report feeling insecure about their smile to the extent of stopping themselves from smiling at all, or resorting to closemouthed smiling.
You may already be wondering how much gingival display is considered as a gummy smile. Surprisingly, there is no set definition and it is mainly based on people’s perceptions. Studies done with dentists, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and others outside of the medical field have shown that most people agree a normal smile is characterized by two millimeters or less of gum showing. Whereas people start noticing a gummy smile at three to four millimeters, and thought that more than four millimeters was too much gum showing.
A few reasons may cause a gummy smile:
| Abnormal eruption of the teeth: If teeth are covered by too much gum tissue, they may appear short even if they are at the appropriate length
| Hyperactive lip muscle: If the muscle controlling the upper lip movement is hyperactive, it may cause the lip to rise higher than normal while smiling thereby exposing more gum tissue
| Upper jaw bone development: The way your upper jaw bone grows and develops may cause a gummy smile appearance, such as if there is excessive bulging protrusion of the upper jaw within the gum tissue
| Whereas a gummy smile may be an aesthetic problem in most cases, if it is caused by how the teeth erupted or how the jaw develops, the problem could be more than just a cosmetic problem as it could affect the person’s bite – which may cause long-term oral health issues.
| If you think you have a gummy smile, it is important to get a professional evaluation by a trustworthy dentist – explore our list of best dentists in Dubai at Drs Nicolas & Asp to make the best choice. Our highly qualified dentists would confirm whether or not you have a gummy smile, and then recommend treatment options based on the cause and your specific case.
Depending on the cause and treatment options, your dentist may advise you to visit a periodontist, orthodontist or oral surgeon. Some cosmetic dentistry treatment plans include:
| Laser treatments
| Orthodontics to reposition the teeth into more appropriate positions
| Surgical Sculpting of the gingival tissues and bone
| Maxillofacial surgery to reposition the bone
| Surgical lip repositioning
Though having a gummy smile may affect a person’s satisfaction about their smile, it is often a simple issue that can be solved with simple cosmetic dentistry methods. The most important step is to get the cause evaluated by a dentist who would be able to confirm the root of the problem, and then refer you to an appropriate specialist to proceed with the treatment plan.
Categorised in: Uncategorized
This post was written by admin
