No smile, no problem!
How to treat a gummy smile
Whenever your photo is taken, do you smile and say cheese? Or you don’t? Unfortunately, not everyone smiles as much as they should, and it could be because they’re naturally shy or maybe they’re just not confident about it. A gummy smile is one of the reasons one might be too self-conscious to smile. Fortunately, there are ways to treat it not only to enhance the overall look but to also bring back their confidence so they can smile anytime they want.
A gummy smile is when one’s gums are exposed a little too much whenever one smiles. At times, individuals who have this condition may get uncomfortable smiling because of it. There are many reasons for a gummy smile, some of which include:
• teeth size and what they look like, as sometimes teeth are small in relation to the gum;
• lip size and how they move, sometimes the upper lip may be too thin, or the upper lip moves up too much whenever one smiles;
• your facial angles and jaw, which may be disproportionate to the smile;
• how much of the gum is exposed, when sometimes a lot more gum tissue is exposed than usual.
Aside from the factors above, experts say that if the gum is exposed beyond 3mm, it is considered a gummy smile too. Fortunately, there are several solutions to treat a gummy smile, depending on the reasons above.
A gummy smile is when one’s gums are exposed a little too much whenever one smiles. At times, individuals who have this condition may get uncomfortable smiling because of it.
Examples of these are:
• Gingivectomy or gum lifting. This is when extra gum tissue is reduced so that more part of the teeth is exposed. Unlike other treatments, this is an invasive procedure that has downtime but is more likely to be permanent than other treatments.
• Lip repositioning. This involves removing tissue under the lip. This impedes part of the gums from showing whenever one smiles that effectively reduces or narrows gum exposure. This treatment is also invasive and has some downtime.
• Botox. With its wide range of uses, what can’t it do? In the case of a gummy smile, it freezes the muscles that control how one smiles. It is injected onto the muscles that cause the upper lip to lift, like the sides of the nose. Even if it is not a permanent solution, this treatment is one of the more common ones for a gummy smile as it is minimally invasive and requires only minimal downtime yet delivers visible results.
If you have always been conscious about your gums or your smile that affects your confidence, your relationships, and how you interact with others, maybe it’s time to talk to a dentist so that they can properly assess the cause and help you improve or enhance your smile. But always remember that all smiles are beautiful, no matter what.