Garak-dong Dental Clinic - If Too Much Gum Shows When You Smile

Garak-dong Dental Clinic - If Too Much Gum Shows When You Smile

Hello, I am Shin Seung-hwan, the director of Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, located in Garak-dong.

Today, I would like to talk about what is commonly known as a gummy smile, in which a lot of gum shows when you smile.

Many people think that showing a lot of gum when smiling is not aesthetically pleasing.

In fact, in Korea, many people feel somewhat embarrassed about showing their mouths and even cover their mouths when they laugh.

However, when you think of other countries, especially Western countries, people not only tend to have larger mouths but also smile with their mouths fully visible.

They often laugh broadly enough to show even their molars, whereas in Korea, many people seem to think that laughing that openly is impolite.

It is generally considered acceptable for the teeth to show when the mouth is open, but many people feel uncomfortable when a lot of gum is visible.

However, some people naturally show more gum than others.

Today, I will explain some of the reasons for this.

When more than 3 mm of gum, rather than just the teeth, is visible during a broad smile, this is academically classified as a gummy smile.

You can think of it as meaning a smile in which a significant amount of gum is visible.

Unfortunately, the methods available to prevent the gum itself from showing in these cases are somewhat limited.

So why does more gum show than in other people?

The gums are normally covered well by the lips, but when we smile, the muscles pull the lips upward.

This can occur because the upper lip is pulled more by the muscles than the lower lip—in other words, because of the movement of the lips.

Therefore, Botox injections may be used as a treatment option.

However, when Botox injections are used, reduced muscle movement may make less gum visible, but the normal movement of the lips may also be somewhat reduced.

As a result, pronunciation may sound slightly unusual when speaking, or the smile may become asymmetrical.

In addition, the effects of Botox are temporary. They are usually greatest after one or two months, and after several more months, as the effects wear off, the gummy smile may recur in some cases.

In other cases, some patients have teeth that protrude when viewed from the side.

With this type of protruding mouth, the teeth themselves project outward, so when the lips part to the same extent, more gum may be visible.

These cases can be resolved by improving the protruding mouth itself.

If you have a relatively severe malocclusion and protruding teeth, and your gummy smile is a concern, it may be worth considering orthodontic treatment.

If orthodontic treatment improves the overall alignment of the teeth by moving them slightly inward, the gummy smile may also improve.

Another case occurs when the gums have overgrown and the gum tissue itself covers part of the teeth.

If there is enough room to trim away some of the gum tissue around the teeth, the gumline can be lowered slightly.

This makes the teeth appear a little longer.

Because the overall proportion of visible gum is reduced, the amount of gum that shows may also decrease.

However, this method can be used when the teeth are relatively short and the gums have overgrown.

In summary, possible approaches include Botox injections, orthodontic treatment, and gum contouring to reshape the gum tissue.

These methods may be used to try to improve a condition in which a lot of gum shows when smiling, but there is no single correct answer.

Because the appropriate treatment varies depending on the cause and condition, it is best not to decide on just one option right away.

Instead, visit a dental clinic for an examination and receive a recommendation for the method that suits you.

That may be the most appropriate treatment approach.

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