A gummy smile is a condition where a person’s teeth appear too small for their mouth, resulting in an excess exposure of gum tissue when they smile. It can be a cosmetic concern for some people, making them self-conscious about their appearance. In some cases, a gummy smile may also affect an underlying medical condition, such as a misaligned jaw or teeth. Several treatments fix a gummy smile, such as laser gum contouring or surgery. Surgery is also known as maxillary impaction or gingival contouring. It’s a minimally invasive procedure performed in your dentist’s office.
Gummy smile surgery is safe, effective, and easy to complete. During the procedure, your dentist will remove excess gum tissue to expose more of your teeth. It will give you a more proportional, symmetrical smile. If you’re unhappy with your gummy smile, talk to your dentist about whether this procedure is proper for you. You can visit a clinic specializing in advanced cosmetic dentistry in Woodbury, Long Island, if you live there. Before this, here are some insights to help you understand more about this issue and the treatment procedure.
Gummy smile & causes
Your smile is only as pretty as your teeth are healthy. What gives your smile away is an excess of gums showing when you flash it in public. It is a problem of excessive gum display when over 4mm gums are visible on the upper teeth, covering the entire area or a few teeth. More than an unattractive look, it can also signify that you need medical attention, especially if you suffer from gum inflammation, deteriorated oral health, bad breath, painful teeth, and gums. Nevertheless, experts believe there can be different reasons for this condition.
Heredity/genes/ anatomy
Genetics can be one of the main reasons behind a gummy smile, but it can also be due to hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF). HGF usually affects people with soreness on lips or cheeks. Hormonal imbalances or high white blood cell levels can also cause gingivitis to become more severe and inflamed.
Poor hygiene
Gums can become affected due to plaque formation on the surface of your teeth. When it makes its way into the gums, you experience issues like inflammation and enlargement. Many patients don’t floss or brush their teeth in the region where they feel utmost pain; consequently, their gum condition worsens more.
Medication
Some medications—prescription and over-the-counter—can cause gingival overgrowth when taken for an extended time, but some are more likely to induce such adverse side effects than others. It is more relevant for medicines associated with a heart ailment, anti-rejection drugs, etc.
Problems caused by a gummy smile
If you’re experiencing redness and swelling on the gums, it might be because of tissue buildup. It occurs when your body tries to respond to gum disease with an overgrowth of new gums to protect the structures underneath it, such as the roots in your teeth. At first, symptoms include pain and discomfort when brushing, flossing, or eating certain foods. Even if you don’t see any signs of gum disease-related overgrowth on your own at first, schedule regular checkups with your dentist so that they can help you get treatment for this issue before things become bad.
Excess gum tissue can also create a problem in the oral cavity, and this could cause people a lot of trouble in the long term. It not only traps food and bacteria beneath it, but if left unchecked, the gum growth could cause swelling, inflammation, and even more woes. It can be painful for most people who have to deal with this problem regularly. You also risk other dental complications like tooth decay and increased sensitivity as the mouth will experience more trauma.
As mentioned earlier, in some cases, gum overgrowth can be a severe issue known as gingival fibromatosis. You can blame it on hereditary or genetic effects. People with this condition find their dental crowns covered by gums. While it negatively impacts facial appearance, it can also weaken your teeth and dental bones in the jaw. Bleeding and other issues may also accompany this.
Treatment for gummy smile
Nowadays, laser gum surgery comes in handy to treat milder to severe gum disorders. A laser is just a light that amplifies stimulated radiant energy beamed on the affected area. Your dentist can suggest this surgery for dental cosmetic reasons like an uneven smile line or discoloured teeth. During the procedure, they will treat your teeth with lasers, antiseptics, and clotting agents, which remove germs and bacteria so that your oral hygiene improves and provides you with healthier-looking teeth.
Usually, a patient can start their routine the next day of the surgery. In some cases, people need more time to recover. After this surgery, typical side effects may include soreness, bleeding, swelling, and discolored gums. If everything goes right, these will be mild and temporary. Also, it can take a few days to heal from the surgery. You may have to avoid brushing and flossing the affected tooth. However, you can use a mouth rinse for your oral hygiene. The dentist may ask you to follow a soft diet to avoid pressure on your newly treated gums and teeth. At the same time, you cannot consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes.
A gummy smile is primarily a cosmetic dental issue as it gives the appearance of short, stubby teeth. While a gummy smile may not be a dental health problem, many people feel self-conscious about how it looks. You can correct a gummy smile by undergoing laser gum surgery. It involves using a laser to remove excess gum tissue. It is also less invasive than a gum tissue graft and can give the mouth a more even appearance. So, make sure you don’t have to put up with this problem any longer, whether it seems more like an aesthetic challenge or an oral issue. Or, if the pain is severe, then again, you need to do something about it. Only your cosmetic dentist can look into the matter and recommend a favorable solution.
