You don’t have to suffer with a gummy smile

A gummy smile, known as excessive gum showing, is when you smile and too much gum tissue shows above the top teeth. Many patients who are concerned about a gummy smile often say it makes them feel self-conscious or that their smile seems less attractive. About 10 to 25 percent of all adults are frustrated with the amount of gumline shown when they smile.

In this column, I will address the gummy smile – what it is, and introduce one of the innovative ways to address this concern.

While a glimpse of the gumline during a smile is pleasant to see, excessive gum display is often considered undesirable. Commonly referred to as a gummy smile, an excessive exposure of gum can result from excessive gum growth. While healthy, beautiful teeth and gums are essential for an attractive smile, overexposed gums make many people feel self-conscious and unattractive. This excess exposed gum is an embarrassment to many and can eventually result in a lack of self-confidence.

As periodontal specialists, we recognize that a gummy smile varies from person to person. The standard rule of thumb is that we conclude a “gummy smile” when four millimeters (mm) or more of the gums show when you smile.

Fortunately, for most patients, we can manage this gum prominence and make your smile more attractive.

What causes a gummy smile?

Perhaps the most common cause of a gummy smile is simply having too much gum tissue. During the eruption of permanent teeth, sometimes there’s an overgrowth of gum tissue that covers much of the teeth. This will result in a gummy appearance.

It could be that your teeth didn’t erupt completely during oral development. A mature crown (the visible part of the tooth) length is normally about 10 mm in length. However, an abnormal eruption could result in teeth that appear too short, which can make the gums stand out more.

Another potential cause is how far your upper lip rises when you smile. Normally, the lip rises only enough to reveal about 4 mm of teeth. In some cases, though, it may rise too high and show more of the gums.

Some people have a short upper lip (if a patient has an extremely short upper lip, it’s not going to cover their gum and their upper teeth).

Also, there are other anatomical reasons creating situations where the upper gums are very prominent when smiling. Examples include altered passive eruption of teeth (short teeth) and overgrowth of gum tissue.

Gummy smiles can be corrected. In 1988, gum specialist Dr. Alex A. Farnoosh developed an innovative procedure to correct a gummy smile that has helped thousands of people. This lip lowering procedure is one of the options for gummy smile correction. This treatment involves repositioning the upper lip, so that less of the gum line is exposed when smiling. Lip lowering requires a significantly shorter recovery period than jaw surgery and has very little risks and side effects.

Other options include the following:

• Botox treatment.

• Crown lengthening procedure in which excess gum tissue is removed with a laser.

• Braces can be used in limited cases.

• Gum surgery (Crown lengthening) in cases of short teeth.

Benefits of lip repositioning:

• Immediately improves the appearance of a “gummy smile”.

• Creates a proportionate amount of gum, teeth, and lip.

• Gives the top lip a fuller, more esthetically pleasing look.

• Requires only local anesthesia.

• Fast recovery with little downtime.

• Does not result in external scarring.

• Quickly restores confidence and self-esteem.

The innovation of the lip repositioning procedure has given many gum specialists another option to assist patients toward the journey to good health and wellness. It also brings a harmonious balance to the teeth, lips and gums; restoring confidence in your appearance once again.

• Dr. Kendal V.O. Major is the founder and CEO of the Center for Specialized Dentistry, which is a comprehensive family dental practice operating in New Providence and Grand Bahama. He is the first Bahamian specialist in gum diseases and dental implants since 1989. He is also a certified fast braces provider. His practice is located at 89 Collins Avenue, New Providence. He can be contacted at (242) 325-5165 or kmajorcsd@gmail.com.

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