Causes of Gummy Smile and Ways to fix it

Excessive gingival display or gummy smiles is the term given to the oral structure of the patients who have too much gum tissue displayed above the teeth while smiling. A smile is only considered to be a gummy smile when the displaying gum tissues are above the length of 2 millimeters.

Such a smile is inherent and usually makes people feel self-conscious and less confident among masses and crowds, due to the appearance of their smile. Categorically, there are four kinds of gummy smiles:

1. Anterior gummy smile: A smile is said to be so when the number of excessive gum tissues getting displayed is of the upper jaw’s two front teeth.
2. Posterior gummy smile: It is said to be so when the number of excessive gum tissues getting displayed of the upper jaw’s back teeth.
3. Mixed gummy smile: This is a condition where the gum tissues of both the front as well as back teeth of the upper jaw get excessively displayed.
4. Asymmetric gummy smile: This is the condition where the gum tissues are only excessively displayed on a single side of the upper jaw.

Causes of a gummy smile

A smile is caused by quite a few things. It is, of any kind, can be in a person either inherently or due to some external effect. Some of the most common causes of gummy smiles are as follows:

1. Genetics

Other than your gum tissues being excessively displayed while you smile, a smile can also be called a gummy smile if your teeth are comparatively smaller than your gum tissues. In such a case the dwarf teeth get over displayed by gum tissues. Many people all around the world have a smile as a part of their genetics and hence, have gummy smiles innately.

2. Upper lip and gum irregularities

There are quite a few gum irregularities that cause a gummy smile, such as:

• The condition where the gum tissues are too enlarged or too long and make the teeth look smaller.
• The condition where the upper jaw grows too much or enlarges enough to make the gums appear too long.
• The condition where a person has a hyperactive upper lip, a lip that is normal when resting but gets too much up when moved.

3. Improper Tooth Eruption

Improper tooth eruption is a condition that is caused in our childhood when our new teeth are coming up. There is often a time when the coming teeth can appear too short or be partly covered by gums. There are the common symptoms of improper tooth eruption.

Ways to Fix a gummy smile

The best ways to fix a smile, and get you a “normal” shining smile that you can wear with confidence, are:

1. Clear aligners or braces
2. Injections of Botox
3. Cosmetic restorative treatments
4. Jaw or lip surgery
5. Lengthening of dental crown
6. Veneers
7. Gingivectomy

All of these ways are known to provide an appropriate aesthetic solution for your gummy smiles.