Want To Fix Your Gummy Smile? Find Out Why You Have One First

30 March 2015
Categories: Dentist, Blog

If your cosmetic dentistry expert suggests that you get gum treatment or some other cosmetic treatment to fix your gummy smile, you may have several questions about the treatment. However, you may also want to know why you have a gummy smile in the first place. Treating the cause of your gummy smile is the best way to maintain your new look after your dental treatment. If you don't treat the underlying cause, you could develop a host of problems, such as gum disease, that revert your gum tissue back to its original gummy state. Here are some very important facts about gummy smiles and the reasons why you have yours.

Before you undergo laser gum treatment, you'll need to schedule a preliminary dental exam with the cosmetic dentist. The dentist needs to make sure that your mouth is healthy enough to do the treatment. To do so, the provider must find out why you have a gummy smile and treat it. Here are two reasons for a gummy smile:

Bruxism

Teeth-grinding or bruxism is common problem that happens at night after you fall asleep. You clench your jawbones together and forcibly rub them back and forth. The action eventually wears down your teeth enamel and crowns. After awhile, your teeth crowns look short or stubby in comparison to your gums, which appear long and overgrown.

Treatment for bruxism involves covering your worn teeth with cosmetic porcelain veneers and dental crowns. These dental treatments elongate your short teeth so that they appear even and more attractive when you smile.

After you have your new dental work placed, the dentist prescribes a dental mouth guard to you. The guard covers and protects your teeth and dental work at night from any damages caused by grinding your teeth. You should wear your mouth guard every night to keep your mouth healthy.

Poor Muscle Control in the Upper Lip

Having poor muscle control in your upper lip is another reason for your gummy smile. The lip becomes hyperactive or hypermobile. If you have a hypermobile lip, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have too much gum tissue. The way your lip pulls up over your gums makes it appear that you do. The muscles that keep your upper lip in place as you smile force it above the gumline, which creates the illusion of a gummy smile.

Your cosmetic specialist fixes this issue by repositioning your upper lip and treating the hyperactive muscles. The provider cuts into the muscles to release some of the pressure and strain they place on your upper lip. After doing this step, the dentist uses sutures or a laser to keep the muscles in place.

You may notice a difference in the way your smile looks right away. If not, it may take several days to see the changes, especially if you have some swelling in your upper lip after the cosmetic dental treatment.

Finding the reasons for your gummy smile is the first step to getting a healthy, more attractive smile. If you have questions about your cosmetic treatments, contact your dentist today for more assistance.

About Me

When I was a child and teenager, I always left the dentist's office with the great feeling of having no cavities. When I went away to college out-of-state, I had to switch to a new dentist in my area. It seemed like I was suddenly getting cavities and started wonder what my new dentist "was doing wrong". When I spoke to my mother about it, she reminded me that the reason I never had cavities when I was living it home was because she always made sure my siblings and I brushed and flossed daily and didn't eat too much sugar. I then realized that my late-night study sessions drinking sugary soda and my suddenly bad brushing habits were the true causes of my cavities. I have since learned a lot more about dental health I am eager to share with anyone who needs the advice!