Ans: A gummy smile is when there's a lot of gum showing above the teeth. The causes of a gummy smile include a hypermobile lip, excessive gum tissue, or if your upper jaw is just larger than the rest of the face.

Ans: A smile is considered too gummy when there are more than 3 to 4 millimeters of gums above the teeth.

Ans: It could be both. It could be primarily cosmetic if they're just not happy with the amount of gum showing, or it could be a dental concern. For example, if there's an excessive overgrowth of gum tissue, it could mean there's bacteria growing underneath, and we need to treat that. Additionally, there could be some skeletal issues that can lead to a bad bite, which can, in turn, cause damage to your joints.

Ans: The most common treatment options for a gummy smile are Botox, gum lift, orthodontics, and orthognathic surgery.

Ans: Botox reduces the upper lip movement. We make two injections right here, and the lips become less mobile.

Ans: The length of the treatment for a gummy smile with Botox is shorter term. It can last anywhere between 6 to 12 months. However, if we perform surgical intervention, that's a lifetime solution.

Ans: Yes, surgery can absolutely be used to fix a gummy smile by doing a lip repositioning surgery, or you can have orthognathic surgery, which can allow both jaws to align with each other.

Ans: The treatments for a gummy smile are all very effective. They are long-lasting if you want to go that route, but if you prefer a more conservative approach, Botox is also very effective.

Ans: The side effects would be the normal side effects associated with Botox. With surgery, there are always some risks, like inflammation or infection, but with proper home care and once inflammation goes down, after a couple of weeks, everything returns to normal.

Ans: It is not common for a smile to become more gummy as they age because as we get older, our lips drop, and we start showing more of our bottom teeth than our upper teeth.

Ans: The difference is that temporary gummy smile treatment is done with Botox, while permanent correction is long-lasting and can be achieved with a gum lift, orthodontics, or orthognathic surgery.

Ans: In our office, because we are a digital smile design clinic, we can do what we call a DSD mockup. This means my patients can test drive their smile, and we can customize a treatment plan that fits their face. Based on what we design, we'll go over the different options that would work best for them.