Gummy Smile
Burbank, CA
Treatment for a Gummy Smile provided by Lawrence Toomin, DDS
and Mark Bieber, DDS
in Burbank, CA at Toomin & Bieber Aesthetic Comprehensive Dentistry
 When you meet someone for the first time, what do you notice? Most people notice a face, and particularly a smile. When you smile, you reveal a lot about your friendliness and overall personality. But if you are uncomfortable smiling, you may not leave as favorable an impression on potential clients, administrators, or that all-important first date.
One reason people may not smile at others is because when they look in the mirror, all they see when they smile are gums rather than teeth. If you have a gummy smile, you need to know there are treatments available from Toomin & Bieber Aesthetic Comprehensive Dentistry to help your smile look larger and brighter.
What Do the Words "Gummy Smile" Mean?
While the term gummy smile may help you envision your smile, the scientific term for gummy smile is excessive gingival display, which means that your gum tissue appears larger than your teeth when you smile. You may also notice that you can clearly see your gumline when you are not smiling at all and your lips are at rest.
What Can Cause a Gummy Smile?
There are a host of factors that can go into a gummy smile. If there are other members of your family with the same smile that you have, there is a good chance that at least part of your smile issue may be hereditary. One hereditary problem with your teeth that occurs due to genetics is maxillary vertical excess.
Maxillary vertical excess occurs at conception when your upper jaw continues to grow through your adolescence and into adulthood, long after that growth should have stopped. Your overly large upper jaw can cause a gummy smile and issues with your teeth, gums, and jawbone.
You may also suffer from a hyperactive upper lip, which means your upper lip contracts to reveal more of your gums and teeth because the muscles in your upper lip are overworking. This can cause your lip muscles to become reactive and contract.
There are other potential causes for a gummy smile. You may have one or more permanent teeth that are smaller than normal adult-sized teeth. Also, you may have a bite issue that is causing your jaw to be misaligned. Some people with gummy smiles never find out the cause of their smile issue.
Are There Treatments for a Gummy Smile?
Luckily, dentists have found several types of treatment designed to draw out your teeth and lessen the impact of your gums on your smile. Depending on the reasons why you may have your gummy smile, the treatment will vary from patient to patient.
Dental Crowns
If you have one tooth or a few permanent teeth that need to appear larger to match your other teeth, our dentist may suggest a dental crown as a way to make your teeth look more uniform. Crowns have been used for centuries as a way to cover and protect teeth.
If you have a very small canine tooth on one side of your smile, for example, our dentist can use a crown to cover and hide the misshapen tooth. The crown length and width will depend on your individual needs.
Crown placement is a simple procedure. Our dentist will make a mold of your existing tooth and fashion porcelain over a metal cap to cover, enlarge, and protect your teeth. Best of all, crowns do not require drilling or medication during treatment. Our dentist will sand the surface of your tooth and cement your new crown over your existing teeth. Dental crowns resemble your natural tooth so closely that no one will know you have one at all.
Periodontal Surgery
One of the simplest and most efficient solutions to a gummy smile is periodontal surgery. Periodontal surgery simply means you are going to have surgery on your gum tissue to remove some of the excess. Some dentists trim the excess gum tissue away from your jaw and suture the tissue closed.
There are also lasers available that can remove gum tissue. Many patients prefer laser surgery because it is nearly painless, kills bacteria in the area, and does not require stitches. This type of aesthetic dentistry works wonderfully for smile enhancement and will give your confidence an amazing boost.
Orthodontic Treatment
Gummy smiles can merely be a problem with your bite. You may have a malocclusion, which means you have a bite issue. The most common type of malocclusion is an overbite, which is when the top jaw sits too far down over your lower jaw. An overbite can cause your gums to feature prominently in your smile.
You may also have an open bite or a crossbite. In an open bite malocclusion, your teeth do not match each other when you bite down. In many cases, you may not be able to open and close your mouth fully with an open bite. A crossbite is another type of malocclusion where your teeth do not fit together at all.
One of the best ways to fix malocclusion is through orthodontic treatment, such as braces or aligners. Once your bite is corrected, your smile will look far less gummy.
Botox Injections
If your main problem with your gummy smile is your twitchy upper lip, you may be able to find relief from Botox injections. Botox is the medical-grade form of botulinum toxin that is produced by a strain of bacteria. You may know that Botox is commonly used in the cosmetics industry to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles.
Botox works by slowing down the speed of reaction time for your facial muscles so the lines created by your muscles are not so apparent. You may be able to calm your upper lip down with a simple injection three times a year.
What Are My Next Steps?
Are you thinking about doing something nice for yourself and getting rid of your overly gummy smile? No matter what caused your smile to be gummy in the first place, there are treatments available for you. Reach out to Toomin & Bieber Aesthetic Comprehensive Dentistry at (818) 748-9998 so that our office staff can make you an appointment to consult with one of our dentists. The sooner you can come in to see us, the more quickly we can work to resolve your gummy smile. |
