Most people will pay considerable attention to their physical appearance. Everyone, after all, wants to look good and make the perfect first impression. Your oral health plays a crucial role in first impressions. Having perfectly white and even teeth make any person more attractive and charming. This is the main reason why people seek cosmetic dental treatments.
A cosmetic smile makeover at an Arizona-based clinic nonetheless goes beyond ensuring your teeth are pearly white. It also addresses your gums. Gums that are misshapen and too large or small will also significantly affect the appearance of your smile. It is what dentists call a gummy smile. This condition makes it appear as if the gums encroach over your teeth and appear to droop over them. They also generate an appearance that your teeth are smaller than they should be. Gums that extend to over an eighth of an inch over your teeth are considered gummy. Thankfully, the following are the cosmetic dentistry solutions that can give you a perfect smile.
Crown Lengthening
In this option, the excess gum tissue is surgically removed to expose a large portion of your teeth. The gum line will also be sculpted to make it look higher. A periodontist performs crown lengthening. The procedure is generally divided into two parts. Gingivectomy involves the removal of the excess gum tissue. Osseous surgery encompasses the removal of excess bone, followed by your jawbone’s reshaping. Both processes are, however, not done on all patients. The ideal one for your treatment depends on the extent of your gummy smile.
Botox Injection
Most people only associate Botox with lessening the appearance of wrinkles. But it can also address overactive lip muscles. Botox will be injected into your upper lip muscles in small doses to limit their contraction. This results in the lips covering the sections of your extended gums. Botox injections for gummy smiles are often repeated every three to six months. The injections should only be handled by a dentist to avoid adverse side effects.
Orthodontic Appliances
At times, gummy smiles are caused by the excessive growth of your upper jawbone or the downward shift of your upper teeth. If this is your case, an orthodontist will handle it. This is a specialist in straightening the jaws and teeth. In this case, orthodontic appliances will push your teeth upward to sort out the gummy smile.
Laser Treatment
This is the modern method of treating gummy smiles. A concentrated laser beam will be directed towards the gum tissue to cut through it. The process is comfortable and generates no heat or vibration. Laser treatment can also reshape your underlying jawbone to give you a perfect smile. The process has minimal failure rates and short recovery times.
With the above alternatives, a gummy smile should not affect your confidence. See your dentist so they could check imaging studies to pick any underlying conditions contributing to the overextension of your gums. There are several new technologies for dental imaging that are safer and more comfortable than those used in the past, so you’re never out of options.
