

Posted on Jun 15, 2016 9:47am CDT

Gummy smile is a smile with excessive gingival display. There are many reasons for a gummy smile, and identifying the cause is crucial to determine the next course of action.

1.Short Crowns

If the gum is up too high on the tooth causing the teeth to be short, gum surgery for crown lengthening to move gingival levels apically would be the treatment option. If the teeth are short because of excess wear and have erupted to compensate, then orthodontic intrusion with dental restorations would be indicated. Gum contouring or gum leveling uses a scalpel or laser to remove excess gum tissue surrounding the teeth, enabling the teeth to look longer and more proportionate. Crown lengthening to move gingival levels apically is typically performed on short teeth.

2.Short Upper Lip

If the upper lip being short is the cause, then cheiloplasty with rhinoplasty will be considered. Cheiloplasty or lip reduction is the technical term for surgery of the lip. It includes the process of surgically reducing the size of the lip or lips. In this procedure, the upper lip is re-positioned to make the gum line less exposed. Patients need to be aware that the top lip also lengthens with age, so it is not uncommon for the elderly to have elongated upper lip as they tend to sag downwards with age.

3. Vertical Maxillary Excess

If the upper jaw has grown down excessively, this can cause a gummy smile. The orthodontist might suggest Temporary Anchorage Devices (TAD)-supported intrusion of upper teeth. Another popular choice is orthognathic surgery, which is used to adjust malocclusion problems owing to skeletal disharmonies, or other orthodontic problems that cannot be easily treated with braces. This type of surgery moves the maxilla in an apical direction impacting the maxilla. Today, with much thanks to cosmetic or smile makeover services it is possible to correct your gummy smile.

4.Supra-erupted/Retroclined Teeth

If the teeth are simply over-erupted, orthodontic intrusion. This demands calibrated anchorage support from intraoral multiunit teeth and headgear wear. As the technique suggest, the appliance will intrude over erupted teeth and levels them to correct position so that it eliminates gingival display.

5. Hypermobile Smile Curtain

If the muscles elevating the upper lip are too much, then Botox or various other lip immobilization techniques can serve to correct that issue. This reduces the strong pulling effect and lets the upper lip better rest over the gum tissue. This is a temporary solution that is used on those who aren’t ready for a permanent procedure. Your orthodontist has thorough understanding of dentofacial esthetics, facial aging, and maturation, so you would want to talk to them about how to have this corrected.

To determine the cause and solution to your gummy smile in Ashburn, VA, call Loudoun Smile Center today to meet with your Ashburn Dentist.

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