Dr. Christopher Pescatore
Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry
Creating Beautiful Smiles
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What Causes a Gummy Smile, and How Can You Fix It?

In Cosmetic March 9, 2022

If you’re concerned about the amount of gum tissue that shows when your smile, you’re not alone. Some dental experts estimate that as many as 10 percent of adults have gummy smiles, and the condition is more common among women.

While a gummy smile is usually considered a cosmetic issue rather than a functional one, it can still impact your day-to-day life. You may feel self-conscious about your appearance and may even avoid laughing or smiling in social situations.

Fortunately, there are several ways to treat a gummy smile, depending on its cause. Here’s what you need to know about this condition and how your dentist can correct it:

What Is a Gummy Smile?

A gummy smile, also known as excessive gingival display, is a smile that shows an excess of gum tissue around the teeth. Dental professionals generally define a gummy smile as having more than three millimeters of exposed gum.

A variety of issues can cause this condition. The following are some of the most common causes of a gummy smile:

  • Abnormal dental development during childhood can cause your teeth to remain partially covered by your gums.
  • You may have a genetic predisposition to have an excessive amount of gum tissue.
  • A hyperactive muscle in your upper lip can cause it to rise higher than it should, exposing more of your gum line.
  • Your top jaw may not correctly align with your bottom jaw, causing the top jaw to protrude and create a gummy look.

How Do You Fix a Gummy Smile?

Make an appointment with your dentist to learn what’s causing your gummy smile, as well as how to fix it. There are a number of dental treatments that can correct this condition, including:

  • Crown Lengthening – This procedure helps to reshape and remove excess gum tissue. It exposes more of the crowns of your teeth, making your teeth look longer and your smile appear less gummy.
  • Botulinum Toxin (Botox®) Injections – Botox is a well-known cosmetic procedure that smooths facial lines and wrinkles. However, it has many additional applications, including as a treatment for gummy smiles. Botox injections can help correct hyperactive lip muscles that expose excess gum tissue. Typically, you’ll need to repeat the procedure every six months to a year to maintain your results.
  • Orthodontic Treatment – Orthodontic appliances or surgery can push your teeth upward and correct a gummy smile.
  • Veneers or Crowns – If you don’t have an underlying oral health issue causing excessive gingival display, getting veneers or crowns may help enhance your smile’s appearance. Veneers or crowns can make your teeth look longer, helping them appear more proportionate to your gums.

If you have a gummy smile, contact your dental professional for a consultation. They can determine the cause of the condition and recommend the ideal treatment to improve your smile aesthetics and self-confidence. You’ll soon find yourself proud to show off your new smile!

The post What Causes a Gummy Smile, and How Can You Fix It? first appeared on Dental Signal.
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Testimonials

Dr. Pescastore,

I just had to take a minute to let you know how much me and my family appreciate everything you have done for us. When we met in 2001 I was honestly anxious about the work I needed to have done. I was nervous about the results and also about the potential pain it might take to achieve the smile I wanted. You were so thorough in your evaluation of my extensive dental history and so clear in your explanation of the procedures required that I felt confident to take your recommendations and trust my smile to you. I have never regretted that decision. I am so grateful for the way you and your wonderful staff made every appointment as easy and comfortable as it could possibly have been. I was always happy to be going there knowing I would be treated so well and love the results. I still feel the same way, and look forward to my appointments with you and your caring staff. I really enjoy the spa like feeling and always leave there more relaxed than when I arrived. My friends are always surprised to learn that I look forward to my dentist appointments as they are lamenting about theirs.

I am especially grateful for the way you have treated my daughters. They too had many dentists before you and were nervous about going to the dentist. Thanks to you and Stacey and the rest of your wonderful staff they now share my feeling about going to the dentist and are happy to be there. Brooke is so afraid of needles that even at seventeen years old she still cries if she thinks she might get a shot at the doctors office. She was very nervous before her first appointment with you, in spite of mine and her sisters assurance that it really wouldn't hurt. Thank you for proving us right. Now even Brooke is not afraid to go to the dentist. I also want you to know how grateful I am for the emergency care you gave Sadie when she chipped her front tooth. I really appreciate you changing your own plans for the day to help her. She was so upset about the way her tooth looked that she cried all the way to your office. She, like me, left your office that day feeling great about herself and her smile. You have really made a positive difference in our lives and we are all so grateful to you for it. We all look forward to seeing you and your great team for our future dental needs.

With Great Respect and Many Thanks,

Pennie Gaddis

I look back at old photographs and realize I spent years hiding teeth. I had braces in my 30s and made the mistake of having my orthodontist apply veneers to my discolored, misshapen teeth. I was his first veneers patient, and I learned that when you're having cosmetic dentistry done, you should have a cosmetic dentist do it. When I decided to have those veneers replaced, I found an expert Dr. Pescatore. In fact, it was just a few weeks before my wedding that I asked Dr. Pescatore to do my smile makeover. I trusted him completely and knew from my first appointment that I was in good hands. He impressed me with his concern that my veneers look natural, and they do. My smile is huge in my wedding pictures, not only because I had a new husband but also because I had fabulous new teeth! I'm grateful to Dr. Pescatore and his caring, attentive staff for what they did for me. I finally have the smile I'd always wanted.

Evelyn Dalton

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