"Gummy" smile, gum surgery

Added: 12/22/2005

Clinics of esthetic surgery perform operations to alter what is commonly known among dentists as a "gummy" smile. A "gummy" smile operation makes your smile look more natural and beautiful. The operation can correct your smile surgically by "lifting" your gingival edge. If you suffer from a "gummy" smile then you have come to the right place. We tell about recent approaches in this field.

Normally, the upper lip can expose up to four millimeters of the gum above upper cutting teeth. The concept of "gummy" smile" is explained as a rule by features of anatomic construction (inclination of the upper jaw, increase of the height of the upper jaw, contraction of the upper lip and so on). Also "gummy" smile can be caused by bite aperiodicities (a deep overlap of cutting teeth because of the absence of contact in the area of fore teeth).

It results in the lengthening of the alveolar appendix. In such cases it is recommended to solve the problem by the means of orthodontic treatment (sometimes a surgical correction is required). As regards laser gingivoplasty, it has a good effect only if there is a hypertrophy of gum tissues. Otherwise the operation allows lifting up the gingival edge to the bottom of the gingival sulci - approximately 1.5 millimeters higher. This contouring allows increasing the height of dental crowns and often improves smile esthetics.

The "Gummy" smile operation is widely used to correct such problems. At first, you should have a consultation to reveal the reason for this problem and find the most optimal way of its solution. Nearly 7% of men and 14% of women suffer from "gummy" smile to a lesser or greater extent. To correct a "gummy" smile, first of all, it is necessary to diagnose your face and mouth.

The main parameter in this diagnostics is the height of the facial oval. When mimic muscles are relaxed the height of the average facial part should be equal to that of the lower part. Anatomic reference points of the average part are glabella (the most prominent point of the forehead bone between superciliary arches) and the lowest point of the nasal septum. The lower part is measured from the lowest point of the nasal septum to the lowest point of soft tissues of the lower jaw i.e. the lowest edge of chin.

After the estimation of facial height it is also necessary to measure the length of the upper lip. In the relaxed state the average distance between the lowest point of nasal septum and the lowest point of the lip is 20-22 millimeters for young women and 22-24 millimeters for men. As a person is growing old the upper lip gets lengthier. Most problems are caused exactly when this distance is too short.

Unfortunately, there are no methods of dental correction for "short lip" so far but it is possible to apply plastic surgery to correct "gummy" smile. Nevertheless, it is important to diagnose when it comes to the planning of medical rehabilitation of fore teeth. A patient should be informed that the treatment cannot only correct but even worsen the excessive visualization of gums.

In this article there have been described parameters of esthetic smile, been determined the role of facial length, the role of lip flexibility, the proportion of teeth and gums that provides the achievement of an optimal result of treatment. If a problem is diagnosed early enough and treatment is performed on time it is possible to expect very good long-term esthetic and functional results. There are many clinics engaged in plastic surgery for gums so check them out.

Rate this article:

Bad

Good

Article comments:

No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!

Return to top of the page