Gummy Smile: Why It Happens and How It Is Corrected
Showing too much gum can come from the lip, the teeth or the jaw — and the right correction depends entirely on which.
Three different causes, three different treatments
A gummy smile can be caused by gum tissue covering short-looking teeth (altered passive eruption), by a lip that lifts unusually high, or by the upper jaw being vertically long. Photographs and measurements at rest and full smile identify which applies.
Gum contouring and crown lengthening
When gum covers otherwise normal teeth, precise laser contouring or surgical crown lengthening reveals the true tooth proportions. Healing is quick, and the result is planned first on a digital mock-up so the new gum line is symmetrical.
Lip-related and skeletal causes
A hyperactive upper lip can be managed conservatively or, in selected cases, surgically. Skeletal excess is a jaw-position problem and is treated with orthodontics or, when significant, orthognathic surgery — gum surgery alone would not correct it.
Why diagnosis comes first
Treating a gummy smile without identifying the cause is the most common reason results relapse. A full smile analysis before any procedure is what makes the correction stable.
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