Causes of a gummy smile and ways to treat it: healthy teeth and beautiful gums

A gummy smile is defined as a condition in which the visible part of the gums in the smile is more than normal. There are many reasons that may contribute to the occurrence of this condition, and the treatment is determined based on the cause.
What causes a gummy smile?

A gummy smile is considered when the visible part of the gum when smiling is longer than 2 millimeters, a condition that actually exists in a significant percentage of people, especially women.
This smile occurs for six main reasons, which are:
● Changes in the positions of teeth as they emerge into the mouth during periods of growth and replacement.
● The upper teeth move down excessively.
● Excessive growth of the upper jaw bone, resulting in the upper teeth moving downward.
● Excessive growth of gum tissue, causing it to cover a larger portion of the teeth.
● Short upper lip length.
● Excessive upward movement of the upper lips during a smile.
How do I get rid of a gummy smile?

Treatment of this condition depends on the causative factor, so the most appropriate treatment is determined after evaluating the condition as a whole.
There are more than one method followed in treatment at Smile Art Center, and below we mention the most important of these methods.
Crown lengthening

● A procedure that aims to show a larger portion of the crowns when smiling. It includes two procedures: gum cutting and bone removal.
● In this procedure, the gum is cut in all cases; however, the bone is removed in certain cases.
● This is determined after examining the case carefully. If it is the gum tissue that has grown excessively away from the bone, the gum is cut without removing the bone.
● If the remaining tooth crowns under the bone are more than normal, and cutting the gums will expose this bone, the gums are cut, then the bone is removed and its shape is beautified so that it does not negatively affect the appearance of the smile.
All of these matters – and others – are evaluated by the doctor before making a decision to determine the appropriate procedure, relying on some of the means designated for that. At Smile Art Center, we have what helps us in the accurate evaluation of each case.
Laser gum cutting

If the case is evaluated and the decision is made to cut the gums to treat the gummy smile, we at Smile Art Center cut them using laser technology.
What benefits us from using this technique is that it is characterized by speed of action, reducing potential bleeding, accelerating the healing and recovery process, reducing the possibility of infection, and alleviating the severity of any negative side effects.
Orthodontics and Surgery

● Orthodontic treatment is used when the upper jaw bones have grown excessively, or the upper teeth have moved down excessively.
● Orthodontic treatment involves the patient wearing a specific appliance that helps move the upper teeth upward gradually.
● In some of these cases, gummy smiles are treated without surgery using orthodontic appliances only. However, there are other cases where orthodontic treatment is not sufficient to achieve the purpose, and here it is combined with surgical treatment.

Gummy smiles can be annoying for many people, as they contribute to making the smile look bad. Therefore, we talked about it in some detail in this article, where we mentioned the most common causes of its occurrence, in addition to the most important treatment methods that we follow at Smile Art Center after evaluating the case well.