A gummy smile is one where too much gum tissue is exposed when you smile. Also referred to as excessive gingival display, a gummy smile can make people self-conscious and can also discourage them from smiling in the first place. Thankfully, your experienced and highly-skilled cosmetic dentist in Newport Beach, CA, can easily correct this condition.

Help! I have too much gum tissue. Can you fix my gummy smile?

We hear this from new patients quite often. They don’t like their smiles because too much gum tissue is exposed when they are flashing their pearly whites. And some gummy smiles are more severe than others. Here is how dentists typically classify this condition.

• Mild gingival display: between two to four millimeters of gum are shown when smiling
• Moderate gingival display: When smiling, four to six millimeters of gum are shown
• Severe gingival display: more than six millimeters of gum are shown when smiling

Check out these causes and characteristics of a gummy smile to know what we’re talking about.

• You have a hyperactive active lip which causes the upper lip to lift up higher than usual—as a result, more gum tissue is displayed when you smile than normal
• Abnormal dental eruption (​​when a tooth emerges through the gum in the wrong place)
• Excessive vertical growth of the jawbone
• Your teeth have worn down and become decompensated by the proportion between tooth and gum
• Teeth that appear shorter than they are 
• Teeth that are small in comparison to the gums

Treatment for a Gummy Smile 

The best smile flashes as little of your gum tissue as possible. Ideally, we’ll see a healthy balance of gum tissue that is in harmony with your upper lip. However, personal aesthetics and your appearance aren’t the only things affected by that excess gum tissue. An abnormal tooth eruption or jaw development can cause a misaligned bite that can negatively affect oral health. Thankfully, if you feel you have too much gum tissue, there are highly effective treatments. 

Orthodontics

Occasionally, a patient can benefit from braces to correct their gummy smile. Using traditional metal braces or clear aligners can be quite effective for minor cases of excessive gingival display. Orthodontics shifts the teeth into the proper position, thus correcting your bite and exposing less gum tissue.

Veneers or Crowns

Veneers or crowns are ideal non-invasive treatment options when no underlying issues contribute to your gummy smile. Crowns are designed to cover a misshapen or severely worn tooth, and veneers are permanently attached to the front of your front teeth to create a whiter and more uniform appearance. As a result, your teeth and gums become more proportionate. 

Scaling and Root Planing

If inflamed or infected gums cause your excessive gingival display, we’ll often start with a deep professional dental cleaning treatment called scaling and root planing. This treatment effectively reaches deep into your gum pockets around your teeth to remove bacteria and help the infection heal or inflammation subside. As a result, the appearance of a gummy smile will usually go away.

Gum Contouring 

Also referred to as gum reshaping, tissue sculpting, or crown lengthening, gum contouring removes a layer of the tissue around your teeth and restructures your gumline to be higher. As a result, patients can enjoy a smile that flashes more teeth than gums. However, if the gum tissue remains excessive, we may recommend crown lengthening treatment, which restructures the gums and changes the bone around the teeth. All in all, gum contouring is highly effective in treating a gummy smile as well as uneven or receding gums. 

The Benefits of Gummy Smile Treatment 

Correcting your gummy smile boasts a variety of benefits.

• You’ll be able to clean your teeth more effectively without excess gum tissue in the way.
• A well-balanced smile, big beautiful white teeth, and a desirable ratio of tooth structure to gum tissue can considerably change the aesthetics of your smile.
• You’ll gain a more confident smile that you will be happy with.
• Those you smile at will focus more on the whole you than your gums.
• Advanced technology minimizes bleeding, swelling, and healing time.

Let us fix your gummy smile and give you a beautiful smile built for success.

If you’re tired of your gummy smile and you’re ready for a change, consider a smile makeover that will reduce the visibility of your gums and improve your self-confidence, giving you a smile built for success. Dr. Desai is the only American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry–accredited female doctor in Newport Beach, and she is ready to help you improve your gummy smile. Request an appointment today and experience the difference your cosmetic dentist in Newport Beach can provide.