A gummy smile is a broad smile with an excess amount of gum showing on the upper teeth. This type of smile can be caused by an overbite, an underbite, or other dental issues. Gummy smiles are typically not taken seriously as they are seen as humorous and trivial. However, many people with gummy smiles have the same concerns and pain as other smile issues.
In the course of this article, we will be discussing extensively the causes of a gummy smile and how to make it go away.
What causes a gummy smile?
- Size and shape of teeth
Gummy affects people with teeth that are small and crowded. When teeth are small and crowded, these factors can lead to an overbite, which distorts the shape of the person’s smile.
A person with a gummy smile will have spaces between their teeth where they may be missing some or all of their front teeth. The space will make the gummy smile visible when the person smiles. The gummy smile is usually seen in people with a small lower jaw and when their upper teeth are crowded and overbite their lower teeth.
- Infection of the gum (Gingivitis)
Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontal disease (gum infection that can also cause tooth loss) is very common in adults. The high acidity levels in your mouth during this stage can actually dissolve some of your enamel, causing you to lose some of your teeth.
Gingivitis can be a major factor in the cause of gummy smiles. It’s an infection that causes inflammation and irritation in your gums, which is caused by things like plaque buildup and bad oral hygiene habits.
If left untreated, it can become more severe and cause more problems in your mouth. It can affect your jawline and even the underlying bone tissue. Luckily, gingivitis is easy to treat, especially if you take action early on.
- Altered tooth eruption
Tooth eruption is simply the slow process of teeth pushing their way through the gums and visibly emerging in the mouth. For permanent molars, this happens around age 6. Altered tooth eruption can cause a person’s smile to appear “gummy” because one or more teeth remain partially covered by the gums because they don’t fully protrude into the mouth. Although this is not widely considered a health risk, it does play into the aesthetics of a person’s smile.
- Excess gum tissues
Too much gum tissue is one of the most prevalent causes of a gummy smile. In certain cases, the gums overgrow to the point where they conceal too much of the emerging permanent teeth during the eruption process. A gummy look will be the consequence.
The gums may appear to have too much tissue because of an infection, but this is actually because the infection has created inflammation, and the swelling has spread to cover the teeth. Having a gummy grin can be avoided by brushing and flossing properly and visiting the dentist twice a year for a thorough cleaning.
Gummy Smile Before and After
How to fix a gummy smile
These are some of the fastest and safest gummy smile treatments:
- Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental, facial, and jaw problems. Orthodontics can also be used to treat a gummy smile, especially if it’s caused by orthodontic issues of the jaws or teeth; then, it can sometimes be fixed by orthodontic appliances alone. This works by using sterilized appliances to shift the bite into the correct position and make the gums appear less prominent. The procedure can also help alleviate other dental problems such as jaw pain.
- Botulinum Type A toxin injections
This is the treatment required for gummy smiles that may not be treated with orthodontics. The Botulinum injection treatment doesn’t require you to go under the knife. Elevator muscles are momentarily paralyzed by the poison so that when you smile, your top lip does not rise as dramatically. If you’re thinking about getting lip repositioning or another sort of surgery to address your gummy smile, this is a good method to see how you’ll appear before committing to the procedure.
- Surgery
Treatments might become more invasive and require some type of surgery when the cause of a gummy smile is a moderate to severe jaw protrusion.
Surgical treatments for gummy smile include gingivectomy, crown-lengthening surgery, Upper jaw surgery, and lip repositioning surgery
Frequently asked questions about gummy smiles
A gummy smile will not improve on its own; it must be treated. Then and only then will you see a considerable difference in your gummy smile before and after.
Depending on the treatment option, fixing a gummy smile can take between 6 to 12 weeks.
To get rid of a gummy smile, try at least one of the following coming in the order listed. With some alternatives, you may have to experiment until you get the desired effect.
First off, try changing your toothbrush. Some dentists recommend using a brush with soft bristles because they are better at cleaning teeth and removing plaque (the mouth-freshening layer that sticks to teeth). Try using a toothbrush that is soft enough to gently scrub your teeth without hurting them. Doing this regularly will help you get rid of infections that might be causing the gummy smile.
Make sure to use toothpaste that contains fluoride since it makes the surface of teeth more receptive to cleaning and helps them maintain their shape. Make sure to brush all the surfaces around your teeth gently and thoroughly. If you hard-brush too much, it may cause more damage to your gummy smile instead of helping it.
Depending on the level of gum-teeth coverage, gummy smiles could be attractive. Generally speaking, individuals found a two-millimetre gap between the upper and lower teeth to be appealing. The smile was considered gummy if it measured more than three millimetres wide. For some reason, women are more likely to be affected than men.
A gummy smile isn’t a reason for alarm for most people. It may be an aesthetic problem for some people, but gummy smiles are usually harmless. To ensure that there are no serious health issues, those who have a lot of gum on their teeth should see their dentist.
Final words
The gummy smile, although aesthetically pleasing at times, could come off as “too much” for most people. This is why at Facial sculpting UK, we provide a range of treatments for your gummy smile, both temporary (to know how you will look without your gummy smiles) and permanent too.
You might also be interested in Best Non-Surgical Treatment for Sagging Jowls , Lip Augmentation and Glycolic Acid Benefits
