Gummy Smile Correction in Plano, TX

About one-third of the population shows their gums above their teeth when they smile. Any irregularities at the gum line make the teeth look like they are different sizes. This decreases the attractiveness of a symmetrical smile as a result. When people have a gummy smile, any irregularities in their smile are exposed to the world.

As a result, many people just don’t smile. Studies have shown an ideal smile displays all of the upper teeth but not the upper gums.

Do you hesitate to smile in pictures and among friends because of your gums? Do your gums appear to protrude from your upper lip more than you believe they should? If so, you may have a gummy smile. This often occurs from:

• An abnormal eruption of teeth
• The way that your upper jaw has grown over time
• The muscle in your upper lip is hyperactive, which results in the lip rising higher than normal

With Dr. Sowell’s expertise in all forms of dentistry, he has become the Plano, Texas area’s premier dentist to go to for the latest and most effective treatments. Get gummy smile correction from Dr. Mark Sowell, and you won’t be disappointed. Your consultation is always complimentary.

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Treatment for Gummy Smile in Plano, TX

The good news is that your gummy smile can be converted with what we call a gum lift. Typically only periodontists perform this procedure, but Plano area dentist Dr. Mark Sowell has been performing the procedure on his patients for over 20 years. Offering treatment for a gummy smile with the gum lift procedure enables him to seamlessly integrate his vision of the final result into the smile design.

Treatment for a gummy smile used to involve cutting the excess gum tissue away using a scalpel. Most of the time, Dr. Sowell can accomplish all this without sutures by using laser dentistry. We use the WaterLase laser, with which Dr. Sowell has over eight years of experience in all reshaping procedures.

The result is patients return to work the next day without any significant visual effects of the procedure except a more symmetrical, more attractive gum line. You can always tell Dr. Sowell’s work because the gum line is always symmetrical and attractive. It’s just one more important detail that goes into creating great smiles. This type of gum lift is permanent.

Benefits of Laser dentistry:

• Avoid the use of stitches
• Highly precise at gum reshaping
• Minimize the risks of infection
• Minimize pain
• Inhibit blood loss
• Speed recovery time
• Immediate results

Most general dentists can do gum recontouring, but this usually relapses or grows back if changes greater than 1/2 a millimeter is attempted. Gum recontouring is for minor detail changes that are not usually noticeable to a patient.

Before & After Gummy Smile Correction

This patient had a beautiful, natural smile, but she showed more gums than she liked. Dr. Sowell designed a gum lift that would reduce the amount of gum display and increase the size of teeth without making any changes to the tooth structure.

Gummy Smile FAQs

How long does it take to fix a gummy smile?

On average, it takes 2 weeks to fix a gummy smile. Patients may feel temporary pain during this period, but it tends to go away after two weeks.

Does gummy smile surgery hurt?

Gummy smile surgery is typically a fairly pain-free procedure. After surgery, many patients have their gums reshaped under the jaw bone. Gums may be sore for a few weeks, but patients typically feel better after 2 weeks.

Is a gummy smile genetic?

The most common reason patients have a gummy smile is genetics. Parents with a gummy smile are likely to pass it on to their children.