What Are the Options for Gummy Smile Correction?

Many patients with gummy smiles seek treatment to improve their smiles. Most of the treatments are dental procedures that improve the aesthetic impact of the smile, but some can address underlying dental problems. Gummy smile correction offers a few different treatments and provides patients with new, healthier-looking smiles.

When a smile is referred to as gummy, the patient exhibits a smile that shows too much gum tissue. This can be due to overgrown gums that cover the teeth, making them look very small. It can also be the result of an upper jaw bone that has grown incorrectly or a hyperactive muscle controlling the upper lip, making it go up too high each time the patient smiles.

Gingivectomy is one of the treatments used for gummy smile correction. A non-invasive treatment, patients only need a local anesthesia before surgery. This procedure is geared towards patients who have a very small amount of excessive gum tissue that needs to be removed. The tissue is removed with the use of a dental laser or through the use of a technique called radiosurgery. Patients do not feel much pain with this procedure and normally do not need sutures. Additionally, the procedure has a short healing time of about two weeks.

For patients who need more extensive removal of excessive gums, crown lengthening surgery, sometimes with bone removal, is a better choice. This procedure is also known as gum contouring and as flap surgery. Performed under local anesthesia, this treatment molds the gums around the individual teeth. Gum tissue is removed from the bone and moved to the desired position. It is then sutured in place and given about seven to 10 days to heal. The sutures are removed after this time. The healing continues for another five to seven weeks. In some cases, bone needs to be removed from the front part of a tooth’s roots to complete the procedure. Crown lengthening is also used in conjunction with veneers or crowns. These are placed after the healing is completed. This procedure is more complicated than a gingivectomy, and patients can expect to experience some pain and discomfort after the procedure is completed.

The Hypermobile Lip Surgery is designed to address and control an upper lip that moves too much, exposing too much gum tissue when the patient smiles. A dentist or oral surgeon reattaches gum tissue under the top lip, so that it is closer to the teeth. This limits the constant upward movement of the lip. This procedure is also performed under local anesthesia.

Gummy smile correction can also include the use of orthodontic braces to correct malocclusion issues that can impact the smile. Orthognathic surgery, which is a jaw surgery, was a popular method in the past. It is not as commonplace anymore. This surgery involves breaking the upper jaw to remove parts of the bone. It is a complex, invasive procedure that includes an extended recovery period, with the patient having his jaw wired shut, as well as other normal issues and risks involved with major surgery.