Many people believe that orthodontics is limited to only that which absolutely has to be done for the good of a patient’s dental health. However, sometimes, people just aren’t pleased with the aesthetics of their smile and wish to have it altered in some ways in order to gain the look they’re satisfied with. An issue that commonly pops up is a gummy smile. No, this isn’t a gummy candy made to look like a smile. A gummy smile is when someone’s gums stick out or appear more prominently. There can be an underlying issue causing this or it can simply be that someone’s smile just appears that way. Either way, there are options in orthodontics that can help with this issue and bring you to love your smile.
Underlying Causes and Fixes For a Gummy Smile
Sometimes, crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw or bite can cause gums to appear more prominently. When this is the case, braces or Invisalign are often a viable option for fix both the misalignment/crookedness of the teeth and the excess show of gums. Braces or Invisalign treatment usually span about two years and slowly adjust the issue until it has been reversed. This process can’t be sped up or it can cause breaks in the jaw, breaks in the teeth, and a few other issues that would not be fun to deal with.
Sometimes, even with a beautiful smile, people will not be thrilled that so much of their games are showing. This gummy smile will often times bother many people and patients come in hoping it can be corrected, despite no other work needing to be done relating to their dental health. Most orthodontists won’t do work that could be deemed unsafe to the patient. Due to this, a consultation is undergone by the patient to see if there would be any issues with this adjustment. We often find that there wouldn’t be any issues and proceed with the patient’s options for getting rid of that gummy smile.
These options can include a small surgery which removes some of the excess gum. This is called a gingivectomy. You have to go under for this and your teeth can be a little sore for a couple of days afterwards. However, overall, it’s not a bad or terrible procedure. Botox injections have also popped up as a way to correct a person’s gummy smile. However, it depends on how dramatic the gummy smile is on whether or not the botox will work. This is a fairly new way of tackling a gummy smile but, has shown promising results thus far.
Orthodontists don’t just exist to fix a problem with oral health. They exist to help you fall in love with your smile even if that means helping you with a gummy smile.
