Gummy smiles are something that aren’t usually noticed by a lot of people, but also one of those things that can have a major effect on self confidence. For those who are unsure of what I mean by “gummy” it’s simply a term for a smile that consists of more gum than teeth.
So it sounds like it’s an impossible problem to fix, either change your smile, lower your lips or don’t smile at all. Well that’s not true at all, of course you could have surgery to alter the shape, size and position of your lips. That can be a bit too much for some people, and we would recommend that you look at the options concerning your teeth before you decide anything that’s too rash.
So how do you go about dealing with this?
A good starting point wo0uld be to talk to your dentist, who can explain the best options for you and what you’ll need to know. After you decide if it’s really what you want to do, you can go ahead and ask for a referral for a cosmetic dentist.
The cosmetic dentist should be able to show you a portfolio of previous work he has done, including before and after photos. This would be a great time to ask about the technology and equipment they’re using as well as anything else you may be curious about.
The biggest tip we can give you is not to be shy when asking questions. It should be okay for any dentist, or even any medical professional to be asked what sort of qualifications they have or how do they keep up to date with modern dentistry. You should also take note of how new their equipment is. Things like Laser equipment may not be seen in an average dentists office, but you should always keep an eye out for one at a cosmetic dentistry clinic as they should have them as their stock in trade.
The procedure itself is pretty much straightforward when preformed by a trained and experienced cosmetic dentist. After it’s all done, you should be left feeling more confident, and don’t be afraid to show it off to everyone.
There are two methods of correcting a gummy smile, each are relatively simple.
Gingivectomy is the name of the first, and it’s known to be the simpler option. The general idea behind it is to reduce the amount of gum exposed when smiling. During the surgery, a small amount of gum tissue is removed via dental laser. The technique is known as radiosurgery.
It’s pretty much painless, and it should heal within two weeks.
The second, slightly more advanced option, involves something called crown lengthening.
The idea behind this one is similar to the Gingivectomy. A new gum profile is corrected by moving tissue from the bone into a desired location. Then crown lengething is performed to give your teeth the right shape and fit into your new smile.
Fixing a gummy smile should be something you think about carefully, as it could be something that only you are noticing. If you are serious about it, talk to your dentist about the options you can take and which cosmetic dentist is right for you. We’ll remind you again, make sure you get all the info you can on your cosmetic dentist. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and never think you’d be wasting their time if you back out.