When we smile, our gums should normally show 1.2 mm. 'Gummy smile', which can be defined as the appearance of 2 mm or more of gum in the upper jaw in a full smile, is an unsightly phenomenon. This situation causes a lack of self-confidence, especially in female patients, and they feel the need to cover their mouths with their hands while laughing. Gummy smile has several treatment methods. Before the treatment method, it is necessary to analyze the cause correctly.
*What are the causes of gummy smile?
The amount of gums visible when we laugh varies from person to person. Factors affecting this are: upper and lower lip muscle mobility, lip length, clinical crown length, that is, the visible amount of the tooth, skeletal relations, especially the vertical dimension of the maxilla (upper jaw).
*What are the gummy smile treatment methods? ?
The amount and cause of the gummy smile is important in choosing the treatment method.
If the gum appearance is excessive due to what we call delayed passive eruption, the teeth are in square form. Long teeth in women are more natural and aesthetic. In such cases, gum visibility can be reduced by removing some of the gums during gingivectomy surgery. If there is more gum exposure, the smile line can be pulled lower by performing a 'lip repositioning' operation. Both operations can be performed simultaneously. It is a procedure that takes approximately 1 hour under local anesthesia. Apart from these operations, gummy smile due to delayed passive eruption can be treated with orthodontic treatment. In the orthodontic treatment of gummy smile patients, the upper teeth are moved upwards and thus the gums also move upwards.
If the cause of gummy smile is muscle hypermobility, regular botox applications can be applied. After Botox is applied, the muscles that pull the lip up will not be able to move up as much and the gums will be less visible when the patient smiles. However, botox applications are not a permanent treatment for gummy smile. Botox is applied between 2 and 5 points. Its effect varies between 3 and 6 months.
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