The gummy smile is a common pathology that consists of showing more gum than usual when smiling.

Some people consider the gummy smile as a characteristic feature of their face, but there are also those who consider it an aesthetic problem that causes problems with confidence and self-esteem, since it is inevitable to smile on a daily basis.

How do I know my smile is gummy?

In general, dentists in Plano tx consider a smile to be gummy when the gum that is exposed when smiling exceeds two millimeters in men and three or four in women. However, it will largely depend on the aesthetic complex that each patient has and their smile as a whole.

Causes of gummy smile

The gummy smile is due to different reasons and therefore has different treatments depending on the type of gummy smile you have. The main causes are the following:

Long jaw: Long jaw occurs when the upper jaw grows excessively vertically.

Low dental position: In this case, the upper incisors erupt excessively due to a lack of contact with the lower ones.

Altered passive eruption: It occurs when, during the process of tooth eruption, part of its crown is covered by the gum and therefore, it shows more.

Lip with a lot of mobility or short lip: The upper lip tends to rise too much when we smile, which causes the gum to be seen more.

You should always see your dentists in Plano tx to confirm this diagnosis.

Solutions for our gums

After detecting the main cause, we must act accordingly if we want to solve this problem. As we have said before, the cause will be what your dentists in Plano tx will take into account when deciding on one treatment or another.

Treatment for long maxilla: It will be necessary to carry out orthognathic surgery combined with orthodontic treatment. This surgical treatment allows changing the position of the bones of the face to optimize its appearance.

Treatment for altered passive eruption: In this case, the treatment is much simpler. If we have an excessively short tooth because the gum covers it, we will have to undergo a gingivectomy. This intervention consists of outlining the shape of the gum to discover the visible part of the tooth.

Low dental position: Orthodontics will be the solution and will allow correcting the position of the teeth, since everything that has to do with the gums and the lip is correct.

Mobile upper lip: Finally, the solution for this type of gummy smile will be to alter the action of the muscles so that they do not act that way when smiling. To do this, Texas Dental infiltrations will help us to make the upper lip less mobile and not shorten as much.