Novermber 07, 2013
Uncover a Beautiful Smile
A friend of mine told me the other day about an elementary school he’d been to where every classroom boasted a big, bold sign that said “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”
That strikes me as a terrific thought and a great message to give our kids.
But it also made me think about all the people who’d love to smile – really grin from ear to ear – but can’t bring themselves to do it because they’re ashamed of the way their smile looks.
A lot of these people suffer silently with an easily correctable condition we dentists call “excessive gingival display” – a phrase that simply means their gums come down too far. That makes their teeth look too small (although they actually aren’t)1 and gives them what some people call a “gummy” or “horsy” smile.
In some cases the gums come down too far on all the person’s teeth. In others only one or a few teeth are affected. In either case it makes their smile a lot less attractive – even if their teeth are healthy, even and white. And it leaves them self conscious, uncomfortable and afraid to smile like they really mean it.
A Common Problem
You see, ideally when a person smiles, his or her gums are on the same level as their upper lip – with the result that they barely show. People with gummy smiles, though, show a substantial amount of gum.
There are lots of reasons why this can happen. One of the most common is that when people’s adult teeth came through, their gums didn’t recede properly. It’s a condition dentists call “altered passive eruption”2 and it’s a lot more common than you might think.
With a Simple Solution
In the past, people simply lived with the condition and the emotional pain it caused them. They tried to remember not to smile, or not to smile too broadly. Or they hid their smiles behind their hand rather than sharing them with their friends and family.
Today, though, we have a number of ways of correcting the problem by doing what’s called a “gum lift.”
Depending on individual circumstances (each case if different) we may even be able to correct gummy smile without conventional surgery, by using a beam of light or even a radio wave.
Also called ‘crown lengthening,”3 these simple procedures let us uncover the underlying teeth, smooth out the gum line and create a much more pleasing smile.
Most of the time we can correct a gummy smile in a single office visit. Discomfort is minimal and recovery is surprisingly quick.4
A Perfect Smile in Minutes
In fact, with today’s technology, people can often get the smile they’ve dreamed of in a matter of minutes – and enjoy it forever. So it’s no surprise that gum lifts have become increasingly popular.
In the words of Dr. Nicholas Davis, President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, “Now people want it to be perfect – a smile that’s straight, bright and white with a minimum of pink.”5
If you’re unhappy with how much gum your smile shows, just ask. We'll fill you in on how much today’s techniques can help.
And, if you have a friend or loved one who’s self conscious about their gummy smile, don’t forget to tell them how easy it is to correct the problem – and how amazing the results can be.
- Crown Lengthening, American Academy of Periodontology, http://www.perio.org/consumer/crown.htm
- Do Your Have a Gummy Smile?, http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/gummy-smile/
- Make Over Your Smile, http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/make-over-your-mouth
- Patients Smile at Getting Long in the Tooth, http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2006-01-18-gum-lifts_x.htm
- Ibid