Gummy Smile Treatments in Oxfordshire
What is a gummy smile?
Smiling is good for us! When you smile your brain releases tiny molecules that help fight off stress. But for some people, smiling itself is the problem. Feeling self-conscious about smiling because too much gum shows is a very real problem for a large number of people. A so-called ‘gummy smile’ affects between 10% and 25% of the population with women experiencing the condition more than men. Luckily, there are treatment options available to help.
Having an excess of gum tissue that shows when smiling is known as excessive gingival display. Generally, we think of someone having a gummy smile when they have more than 2mm of exposed gum when they smile.
There are several reasons why you might have a gummy smile, such as:
- Altered eruption of the teeth during childhood (essentially, overgrowth of gum tissue that covers the teeth)
- Downward movement of the upper teeth or excessive growth of the upper jawbone
- Short or overactive upper lip muscles, such as the levator labii superioris and levato anguli oris, which lift the lip upward
Whatever the reason, it can make you feel self-conscious about your smile and that’s not a good thing!
In facial aesthetics and dentistry, we refer to a ‘perfect’ smile as one where the top lip sits just above the top of the teeth. A small amount of gum on show is normally not noticeable, but some people have a disproportionate gum tissue-to-teeth ratio, leaving them self-conscious about their smile.
Treatment options for a gummy smile
Crown Lengthening with Cosmetic Dentistry
A specialist periodontist can perform a cosmetic treatment known as crown lengthening. The procedure involves removing excess gum tissue to expose more of the crown of the tooth, as well as sculpting the gumline to take it higher up. By cutting away some of the gum from the teeth, you increase the gum-to-tooth ratio and reduce the appearance of a gummy smile.
Jaw surgery
For some people, their upper jaw has developed in a way that makes it protrude or stick out, creating the effect of a gummy smile. Whilst surgical correction of a gummy smile helps to improve both function and appearance, treatment is very expensive. There is also a significant amount of downtime after the surgery and the patient will often also require additional orthodontic treatment.
Muscle relaxing injections
A less invasive way to fix the appearance of a gummy smile is through the use of muscle-relaxing injections. Muscle relaxing injections are a hugely popular non-surgical treatment used all around the world. At REclinic we use botulinum toxin, a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which has been used within the cosmetic industry for over 20 years. It works by temporarily relaxing the muscles in the treated area to stop them from contracting and animating for approximately three to four months. Whilst it doesn’t cure the cause of a gummy smile permanently, it reduces its appearance with minimal downtime and lasts for around 3 months. The procedure takes around 15 minutes.
How does the gummy smile Botox work?
Firstly, always use a skilled and qualified medical aesthetics clinician to carry out your treatment. You can search the CQC register for facial aesthetics clinics that adhere to their strict code.
A small amount of Botox is injected using a very fine needle into your upper lip, usually at the point where your nostril meets the nasolabial fold (the two skin folds that run from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth, sometimes known as laughter lines).
You can start to see the results almost straight away, but they take about 3 to 5 days to become fully apparent. Top-up treatment is recommended every 3-4 months to maintain the effect.
A beautifully balanced smile is very achievable with this type of minimally invasive treatment.
It’s a great way to either disguise the appearance of a gummy smile on an ongoing basis or perhaps to test the look of a reduced gum area, before deciding to opt for a permanent procedure via a dentist or surgical treatment.
Find out more about gummy smile treatments in Oxfordshire
REclinic is based in the heart of the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Discretely located in the village of Stratton Audley, near Bicester, Dr Martina welcomes you to her luxury clinic premises in a converted barn.
Prior to any treatment, all new patients must undergo a thorough consultation. This includes a complete medical history and is a chance for you to discuss your treatment goals with Dr Martina who will advise on the best course of action.
If you would like to arrange a consultation, please click here.
REclinic is CQC registered as a medical aesthetics clinic and Dr Martina Pirklova-Wood is a Dental Implant Surgeon, as well as holding a Level 7 Certificate in Injectable Aesthetic Non-Surgical Interventions and a Postgraduate Certificate in clinical aesthetics and non-surgical interventions (she likes to study!).
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