Description: Generally a smile shows eight to ten upper teeth, with almost no gum showing above them. Certain pathologic and physiologic conditions, however, may cause some individuals’ smiles to expose a great deal of gum above the upper front teeth, making them look shorter. Much like the cuticles on your fingernail, the gums can cover your tooth structure, making your teeth appear short and fat instead of the shape that “Mother Nature” intended.
Solutions: An artistic and trained cosmetic dentist can provide solutions for people with a gummy smile. For example, a gum lift, also known as gum sculpting or gingival contouring may be an immediate solution for this problem. Gum contouring can be done to reduce the excess gum. The removal of this excess tissue allows for normal sized teeth and for a normal gum line appearance by using an electrosurge or laser to remove the undesirable tissue. This procedure is usually pretty quick to perform.
