The smile is one of the most powerful magical secrets of man, as it is half of beauty, and at other times some classify it as all beauty. Those around him are attracted to him.
Some people have a problem that makes them find it difficult to smile, so that the mere thought makes them feel ashamed or embarrassed, and this problem is known as a gummy smile.
A gummy smile gives an appearance that differs from the person’s real appearance, so his mouth appears larger once he smiles, and his face appears longer, and sometimes this problem causes the smile to make the smile less attractive and beautiful, and this problem is not considered permanent, and it can be treated by knowing the cause and reviewing The specialist doctor.
smile factors
The shape of a smile is controlled by a number of factors, including the shape and size of the lips, facial muscles, the shape and size of the teeth, and the last of the gum tissue.
It is assumed when a person smiles that only the upper and lower rows of his teeth appear from his mouth with a very small part of the upper gums, which is hardly visible at all.
It can be said that the perfect smile shows only the least amount of gum tissue, with the visible part in harmony with the upper lip.
A person with a gummy smile shows an excessive amount of gum when he smiles, which makes him feel that his smile is unattractive.
A smile is considered normal if the visible part of the gums does not exceed a millimeter, and here it is not a big problem. Therefore, doctors know this problem as the appearance of an excessively large part of the gums.
virtual and formal
The person with a gummy smile faces two problems: one is virtual and the other is formal. The wide gums appear too large, which leads to the teeth appearing short and small.
The part that appears from the patient’s teeth and gums when he smiles depends on a number of factors, such as the shape and size of the lips, the effect of the facial muscles on the smile, as well as the size and shape of the patient’s teeth, their regularity, and the shape, tissues and structure of the gums.
Many people are bothered by the gummy smile, although it does not constitute a medical problem. Some sufferers even suffer from psychological problems. It also affects the patient’s self-confidence, affects his social relationships and his ability to speak and smile freely in front of others.
Attention should be paid to this, that some people with this condition have not only an aesthetic effect, but also affect the teeth and jaw, when the cause of the problem is the formation of the teeth themselves.
This leads to the patient feeling uncomfortable when eating or speaking, and in many cases, he feels that he is pressing on the end of the teeth, causing him pain.
genetic factor
In many cases, the incidence of a gummy smile is due to the genetic factor, which is a major factor in the emergence of this problem, and therefore a large proportion of the incidence is for children with one of the parents suffering from this problem, and you find that people with this condition have a significantly smaller upper lip size than usual.
Teeth cause this condition, when they grow in a certain way that leads to the appearance of a gummy smile, which varies from person to person, and in some cases occurs when the gums grow over the teeth, thus covering them from the top, albeit slightly.
In other cases, the cause of infection can be as a result of an abnormal emergence of permanent teeth, after the extraction of milk teeth in childhood, and may not appear at an early age, but rather with age, and it may affect the way of eating and chewing, and the elderly suffer from this problem. due to dental erosion.
gums and upper lip
Gums are a cause of some other conditions, when they grow too much, and are thick, even covering a part of the tooth that is larger than normal.
The shortness of the upper lip causes a large part of the gums to appear when smiling, and the gums appear in severe cases even without smiling, and the constant movement of the lips when laughing or talking is a cause of this problem.
The increased activity of the facial muscles leads to the appearance of a gummy smile, and these muscles precisely control the movements that characterize emotions, and of course, among these movements is smiling, by controlling the upper lip, and when it works at a rate greater than normal, it attracts the upper lip upward strongly Each time a person smiles, the gums appear larger.
jaw problems
In some cases, the injury is due to problems in the upper jaw. The formation and shape of the jaw bones affect the appearance of excess gum tissue.
Sometimes the jaw is inconsistent with the rest of the face, or is larger than it, if its bones grow beyond the normal length, and at other times it is prominent from the rest of the face, and thus presses the lip outward, making it appear shorter, which leads to the emergence of a larger area of the gums .
Overgrowth of the gums, known as gingival enlargement, can be a side effect of some medications, including high blood pressure medications, as well as anti-epileptic and immunosuppressive medications.
Determine the reason first
In the beginning, the appropriate treatment for a gummy smile must be determined by knowing the reason behind its occurrence, because the use of an inappropriate treatment or that does not treat the real cause will lead to the disappearance of the problem temporarily, and then it will appear again, or that the treatment does not give any effective results.
One of the likely options for the treatment method is the cost, which varies from person to person, and depends on the condition of the teeth, and the degree of adjustment that is needed. Some are satisfied with a simple adjustment, and others may need to adjust the entire upper row of teeth.
The dentist begins diagnosing the condition by knowing the cause behind it and determining the best way to treat it. For this, he determines the extent of the gum width, and whether there is a problem in the teeth? He also conducts x-rays in order to ensure the integrity of the roots and jaw bones before any treatment method is proposed.
proper correction
Treatment plans for a gummy smile include orthodontics or proper correction, as well as surgery, for those who suffer from this condition due to the teeth descending somewhat, with the jaw bones growing excessively.
Orthodontics is one of the well-known methods of treatment that corrects the location of the teeth and makes them appear larger, but it is a long-term treatment, and the duration depends on the poor condition of the teeth, and in general, the period is not less than 12 months, and in some cases it may reach 3.5 years.
Surgical intervention is an option for chronic or rare cases. This process is known as corrective jaw surgery, where the doctor corrects the location and position of the jaw by sculpting the internal bones, and despite the difficulty of this process, the results are very good, and completely change the shape of the mouth and gums.
crown lengthening
There is another type of surgical intervention for those who suffer from excessive growth in the size of the gums that covers the teeth, even if they appear short or small, and it is known as wide gum surgery, or lengthening the crown or lengthening the teeth.
The doctor also resorts to this surgery when the teeth are already small or short, compared to the normal range for the size of normal teeth for adults and adults.
Shortening the gums or removing the excess part of them and raising them helps in making a part of the teeth appear larger, and the gum line begins in an area a little higher than it is, and thus the patient regains a natural smile.
3 types
Some resort to using some types of injections to treat a gummy smile, including botulinum injections, which are injected into the upper lip in a certain amount and concentration, in order to cover this problem, and its effect is not less than 5 months, and then it is repeated again.
Botox injections are also used, where they are injected into the upper lip, freezing its muscles, thus reducing its height when smiling, but its effect disappears within 4 months, and you need to repeat it again.
Filler injections can also be used, in which the upper lip is injected to make it fuller, thus reducing the appearance of a large section of the gums. These injections are used for those whose lip size is very small.
Laser and psoriasis
Recent studies indicate that laser treatment is one of the effective treatments for a gummy smile, in which the excess tissue in the gums is removed using sound waves, and thus a large section of the upper teeth appears, and the smile becomes more attractive.
There is another method of treatment, which is known as porcelain veneers, which is one of the cosmetic treatments for teeth and gums, in which a thin porcelain layer is attached to the outer surface of the teeth.
This method is used to treat a gummy smile if its size is not large, and it can be resorted to after laser treatment to get a more attractive smile.
Researchers say that this problem can cause a lot of introversion and isolation, especially for girls, as they think that those around them look at them with sarcasm, and this feeling makes them less positive and interacting with others in society in general.