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Are you one of those people who show a lot of gum tissues (gingiva) when you smile? If so, you may have looked for a cosmetic dentist in Conroe for gummy smile treatments or aesthetic services to correct it.

Causes of Gummy Smiles

There are a couple of different reasons why people have gummy smiles. One is excessive gingival tissues that come down and cover more tooth surfaces than they ought to, leaving the appearance of having “short” teeth.

The other is a hyperactive muscle just under your lip. When you smile for photos or laugh around friends, the muscle contracts and lifts your upper lip higher than normal, revealing the gingiva underneath. So even though you have an appropriate tooth size, it looks like your smile is gummy because your upper lip is pulled back so far.

Does Non-Surgical Treatment Work for Gummy Smiles?

Instead of removing gum tissues and causing your teeth to look longer, the best cosmetic dentist in The Woodlands will recommend a non-surgical alternative on your upper lip. As part of this process, treatment can be administered to the muscle just under your lip, causing it to naturally relax so that it doesn’t contract as much as it usually does.

The result is a lip line that rests slightly lower down on your teeth when you smile, naturally covering the gingiva that usually shows when you’re laughing.

How to Treat Gummy Smiles Without Surgery

Non-surgical gummy smile treatment can be completed in one of two ways: with injectables (like Botox) or with a soft tissue laser.

Botox and similar cosmetic injectables are natural muscle relaxers. When a cosmetic dentist (Conroe) applies them to an area, they don’t just relax the creases that cause wrinkled skin – they ease the muscle tension. That’s why they’re also effective at managing symptoms of TMJ disorder (TMD). So, when they’re applied just inside of your upper lip, they ease the amount of tension in the muscle that’s responsible for retracting your lip when you smile. This method isn’t permanent, but you can easily update it as needed. For most people, it’s usually every 3-6 months.

Then, there’s the other option of having your gummy smile treated with a laser. Depending on the type of laser technology that your cosmetic dentist (The Woodlands) uses, this could be a permanent treatment or one that you’ll want to touch up once every couple of years.

Gummy Smile Treatment | The Woodlands

To learn more about gummy smile treatments without the surgery, contact our office to arrange a consultation. Our doctors at PCE have been serving the community for over 30 years and has a keen, artistic eye for the best cosmetic results. We look forward to seeing you!