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    Parramatta Clinic

    Parramatta Dental Clinic

    The Hall, 356 Church Street
    (Corner of Church and Palmer St)
    Parramatta, NSW, 2150

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    Maroubra Dental Clinic

    Office 1, 822 Anzac Parade
    Maroubra, NSW, 2035

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Dentist Journal

How to Fix a “Gummy” Smile

Ever look into the mirror or photos of yourself smiling and think, “I am all gums!!”?

This is what is commonly known as a gummy smile, and it afflicts a large number of people. Now while sometimes a gummy smile can get less noticeable as the years roll on, for some people, the look is lasting.

If a gummy smile is bothering you then it can be enlightening to know your options when it comes to changing this – and you do have a few options if you decide to go down this track.

Option 1: Periodontal surgery
Previously, the most typical way to fix a gummy smile was through cosmetic periodontal surgery. During this surgery, the gum tissue is cut out a little to expose more of the tops of the teeth, effectively lengthening the teeth themselves. This works very well if your teeth already look short as the procedure helps both reduce the amount of gums and makes the tooth look longer as it becomes covered with less tissue. This is quite an involved procedure.

Option 2: Jaw surgery
If your gummy smile is because of an upper jaw that is too long forwards or too dropped down, then you may be a candidate for upper jaw surgery. The jaw is pulled higher up which then corrects the gummy smile. This is also a fairly invasive surgery and is not without its detriments.

Option 3: Botox
Botox for a gummy smile? You heard right. If your gummy smile is caused by a lip that moves too far north, exposing more of your gums, then Botox in the area can help with relaxing these muscles and not contracting so much. Your lips essentially drops down a bit so more of your gums are covered when you smile.

This needs to be performed by an experienced dental practitioner, as many people who perform Botox do not have experience with using the substance for this sort of treatment.
Botox can be an ideal treatment for many patients and isn’t as invasive as other treatment options, not as expensive, and results can be achieved fairly quickly.

How to Fix a “Gummy” Smile

No matter the reason for your gummy smile, your first port of call for assessment is with your dentist. They can determine the reason that you show more gums than teeth when you smile. Once you’ve gotten to the bottom of the reason behind your gummy smile, then you can look at your options for fixing it. There may be other options that we have not listed above that can help to correct the look of your smile to make it appear more “normal”.

At Dental Avenue, dental clinics Parramatta, we take your concerns very seriously. We can assess your smile to see what can be done about it, and offer a range of treatments to help to correct it. If you are feeling self conscious about your gummy smile, then line up an appointment with our clinic to start doing something about it. Our dentists are experienced in all lines of oral health and love problem solving to give you the best smile possible. Give us a call on 02 8004 0055 and make your appointment today!

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