Gummy Smile treatments:

Gummy smile is a smile that shows an excessive amount of gum (evaluated as more than 2 to 3 millimeters by some dentists) while laughing or smiling, which affects the beauty of both the face and smile. It appears in gummy smile that gum tissue takes a large portion of the teeth, while in some cases, the teeth are normal and have the appropriate height. However, the causes of occurrence of the gummy smile phenomenon are different, and its treatment methods vary depending on the cause of the event. The point to be noted is that, in addition to beauty, the causes of occurrence of the gummy smile phenomenon sometimes endanger one’s oral and dental health and, at a wider level, one’s general health and thus careful treatment and evaluation of the phenomenon are needed.
The causes of occurrence of this problem can be divided into three categories:

1. lips and facial muscles problems
2. jaw abnormalities
3. dental problems

In some cases, the muscle that specializes in the movement of the upper lip is hyper active; this causes one’s upper lip to be in a higher position than normal, making the gum more visible. In addition, in other cases, the upper lip is in a lower position than normal and thus is not placed in its proper position, revealing the gum tissue. Occasionally, the problem is in the maxilla development or in the facial skeleton, particularly in the lower area. In some cases, the problem is in the gum development on the teeth, which causes an excessive amount of the gum tissue to appear and thus makes the teeth look shorter; in other words, the teeth crown has a short height in such cases. In an attempt to resolving the issue, the first step is to visit the dentist to diagnose the problem accurately and professionally. An expert in this field can determine the appropriate amount of the gum and tooth height according to one’s jaw and facial dimensions by performing examinations and X-ray photography and also by using digital devices.
Treatments can include one or more of the following depending on the problem:

• Laser therapy
• Surgical lip repositioning
• Orthodontics to place the teeth in a suitable position
• Gingival graft
• Orthognathic surgery