How Your Dentist in Silver Spring, MD Can Eliminate a Gummy Smile

Do You Have a Gummy Smile?

  • Do you feel that your upper teeth appear too short compared to the amount of gum tissue you display when you smile?

A gummy smile can have an adverse affect on the esthetics of your smile. The great news is that a gummy smile can be corrected with various dental treatments by your dentist in Silver Spring, MD.

What Causes a Gummy Smile?

  • The abnormal eruption of teeth can cause an excessive display of gum tissue in your upper jaw. Your teeth will appear shorter when covered with excessive gum tissue even though they may actually be the proper length.
  • More of your gum is exposed if the muscle that controls the movement of your upper lip is hyperactive. This causes the upper lip to rise higher than normal when you smile.
  • The manner in which your upper jaw bone grew and developed can cause a gummy smile.

Your esthetic zone or smile line, which are the teeth that show when you smile, is determined by several factors including—

  • Shape and size of your lips
  • Facial muscles
  • Shape and size of your teeth
  • Gum tissue

The gum tissue that is visible when you smile should be balanced and evenly shaped in harmony with your upper lip. The smile line should reveal the least amount of gum tissue as possible.

Treatments for Gummy Smiles

  • Laser treatments in minor circumstances
  • Orthodontic braces to move the position of your teeth
  • Surgical sculpting of gum tissue and bone
  • Reposition the bone with maxillofacial surgery

A crown lengthening procedure can be done by your dentist in Silver Spring, MD to correct the appearance of a gummy smile. Excessive gum tissue and possibly bone will be removed so that the tooth’s surface is more exposed. This surgical sculpting procedure can be performed on one or more teeth creating an even gum line with a more natural looking smile.

Being treated for a gummy smile by your Silver Spring, MD dentist will allow you to see more of your teeth than your gums when you smile increasing your overall comfort and confidence when smiling, eating, speaking, or laughing.