What can you do to help a gummy smile?
By Dr Rachael Syvret
Is my smile “gummy”? What is a “gummy” smile? What can you do to help a “gummy smile”? …are just some of the biggest hit search questions online. So who defines just what a gummy smile is, and whether you should have treatment for it?
What is a gummy smile?
Medically, a gummy smile is defined as an over contraction of the muscle elevator labii superioris alequae nasi, revealing too much teeth and upper gums. In most cases, the reason for this is genetic and as a result a “gummy smile” runs in the family.
So does that mean that all these people should have treatment to reduce this? Of course not! Just like anything on our faces or bodies, whether we have treatments or “tweakments” is completely up to that individual! Sometimes people can feel that these subtle differences can define them, just like having a gap in your teeth, for instance. For other people though, they can begin to hate these things about themselves, and if that is the case, then why suffer when there is a quick and simple way to treat them?
How can you improve a gummy smile?
Find out more about Gummy Smile treatment at Underlining Beauty Gummy Smile Correction
A gummy smile is easily reduced by injecting a small dose of botox into the elevator labii superioris aleque nasi muscle on both sides. It is important to do these injections as a small amount and top them up if necessary. It is also important to assess for any asymmetry before doing the injections.
Often a patient’s lip will move up on one side more than the other. When botox is placed in this instance, it is important to allow for this when choosing your dosing of botox, to try and correct this asymmetry.
Unfortunately, as with all injectable procedures, there is no guarantee in how you as an individual will respond to the treatment. Sometimes people can have a very strong reaction to botox, and sometimes a very weak one. We would always inject a cautious amount initially and then reassess after two weeks if needed. The aim in this procedure is to weaken the muscle fibres, rather than completely paralyse them. Due to this, the effects may not last as long as they do in areas such as the glabellar (frown lines).
Are you an aesthetics practitioner and would like to offer gummy smile correction to your patients? At Underlining Beauty Academy, we offer an advanced training course that covers an array of procedures including gummy smile correction! www.ub-academy.com
