What is a Gummy Smile and How to Fix it?
A genuine and bright smile is something everyone wishes to have as it simply enhances one’s personality and confidence in life. Sometimes, one might face expressing a smile due to a dental condition called a gummy smile. In this, your smile reveals gums more than one would like actually. In dentistry, this is referred to as excessive gingival display. People who visit Eon Clinics often talk about how a gummy smile affects their self-confidence or makes their smile less attractive. Don’t worry about the gummy smile fix that is possible at our dental clinics. Today, we will talk about gummy smiles and how we correct them for our valued patients.
What is a Gummy Smile?
There is no correct or fixed definition of a gummy smile as it is based on one’s perception of it. In your dental visit, one would talk to the dentist about it if you feel you have an excessive gingival display. There have been numerous studies done on how a gummy smile can be identified. In plenty of cases, individuals rated a smile attractive if the gum tissue exposure level is 2 millimeters or below. At 3 millimeters, the smile is assumed to be gummy. This would be surprising for many but a gummy smile is found more in women than men.
What Causes a Gummy Smile?
There are plenty of reasons behind gummy smile occurrences in individuals. The most commonly attributed causes are:
- Teeth that are smaller in size in comparison to the gums
- Teeth that erupted improperly and remain covered by tissues in gum
- Very short upper lip
- An upper lip that lifts high and exposing gum tissue at the time of smiling
- Enlarging of gums also known as gingival hypertrophy
- Upper jaw overgrowth leading to the gums bulging out
How to Fix a Gummy Smile
There are plenty of dental treatments available to alleviate the excessive gingival display. Let’s look at the different dental procedures undertaken for individuals with a gummy smile
Lip Repositioning Surgery
Lip repositioning surgery is recommended if the lips are diagnosed as the cause of a gummy smile. The dentist will change the lip’s position in reference to the teeth. On average, one has to shell out money in the range of $500 to $5,000 for lip repositioning surgery.
Orthognathic Surgery
If the jaw is the underlying reason behind the excessive gingival display, orthognathic surgery would be recommended by a dentist near you. The dentists will simply balance the length of your lower and lower jaws. The procedure is much higher than other less invasive dental procedures. In the case, the insurance plan doesn’t cover orthognathic surgery, the cost would be in the bracket of $20,000 and $40,000.
Oral Surgery
The procedure is the most common and preferred as the results are often permanent or long-lasting. The procedure known as gingivectomy is suggested when the gum covers a major portion of the teeth’s surface. The dentist would remove the extra gum tissue in your mouth. The treatment cost would lie in the region from $200 to $400 per tooth.
Temporary Anchorage Devices
This is a good solution for gummy smile correction without going through surgery. This device will fix the teeth in such a position to reduce the gummy smile. A noninvasive procedure that will cost around $400-$600 on average.
Conclusion
Overall, a gummy smile reduces the esthetic of your smile. It is better to address it rather than lowering one’s self-esteem. As outlined above, one can opt for gummy smile treatment at Eon Clinics. Treatment costs would vary from procedure to procedure. So, don’t hesitate, contact the dentist with a gummy smile fix without any worry.