Why do I have a gummy smile?
Today we bring you the case of a patient who came to our practice with a severe anterior open bite. As you will see throughout this post, our patient was barely able to bring the upper and lower jaw together.
After studying her case meticulously, we assured her that she would not need surgery, which is what many other dental practices had recommended.
Dr. Diego Peydro drew up a treatment plan for her using clear aligners alone.
That is why, before deciding on a treatment for the patient, her case has to be studied in detail, taking all of those factors into account, such as:
- The shape of the dental arch
- The angulation of the teeth
- The balance between the lip, the teeth and the gum
- The amount of bone and gum present.
How do we approach solving a gummy smile?
When we set out to solve a gummy smile, we always have to look deeper and find out what is really causing it. We cannot stop at the surface
For example, the patient in the photographs in this post had had a gingivectomy several years earlier, yet she told us that over time the gum had grown back.
Why did that happen? Because her dentist had not detected —and solved— the real cause of her gummy smile.
As you can see in the various photographs in this post, the patient has a very narrow arch, in which the bone at the front is entirely pushed forward and outside the facial profile.
The angulation of the teeth is also negative and her arches are very narrow. The patient also has a hypermobile lip, displaced by the position of the premaxilla, along with excess gum and bone.
All of this together is what is causing this patient’s gummy smile. So if we want a definitive solution that meets the patient’s expectations, we have to focus on solving the origin of the problem.
At Clínica Peydro we specialize in clear aligners, dental implants and esthetic dentistry
If you would like a free first visit with us, leave us your details.
In this case, our doctor will draw up a plan focused on:
- Improving the position of the teeth
- Widening the shape of the dental arch
- Achieving greater balance between lips, teeth and gums
- Bringing the protruding bone back inside the facial profile
- Removing the excess gum and bone
Do you have a gummy smile and would like to know more about it? If you would like further information, here is a video in which Dr. Diego Peydro talks about it.
