Gummy Smiles

It is important when you are considering changes to your smile that you don’t get too close. Step back and look at the bigger picture. In fact, look at the frame surrounding your smile: your gums, lips and face. Teeth viewed without their surrounding structures are a lot like a beautiful work of art viewed without a frame. The relations of tooth shape, position and color to the face, lips and gums is critical to having a complete picture when it comes to having a memorable smile. Perhaps most important is the relationship between the amount of tooth relative to gum displayed in a full smile.

A “gummy” smile is technically defined as a smile which reveals more than 1/8 inch (2mm) of gum between the tooth and the lower edge of the upper lip in a full smile. Display of gum in a smile gives a youthful appearance up to a point. After that, it becomes a “distracter”. As we age, the upper lip gradually begins to lengthen at the rate of about 1mm per decade of life. Thus, a slight gum excess will gradually correct itself with time. Larger displays, however, may require some form of treatment to correct.

The causes of gummy smiles vary, as do the treatments available. Anything from minor gum treatment to braces and jaw surgery may be among the treatment options. If you think you may have excess gum showing when you smile or would like more information, let us know at your next visit or call for a cosmetic evaluation. Your smile says a lot about you. Be sure it is saying what you want!