Does Your Lip Pull Up Too High When You Smile?

A smile is key to one’s self-confidence and overall happiness. Surveys show that smiles are contageous, and just by smiling alone, a person can elevate their mood and the mood of those around them. Scientifically, a smile affects our emotions because of a brain to body connection. When you smile, activity in the left frontal cortex is registered; this is the area of the brain where happiness is recognized.

Smiling also raises a person’s self-confidence. Most people believe that when another person smiles, they look more approachable, and appear to have more self-confidence.

These are all wonderful things about smiling…but what happens when you hate your smile? One of the major concerns people have about their smiles is that it may be “too gummy”. A gummy smile is one where either the lip pulls up too high when smiling, or when the teeth appear small because they are covered with excess gum tissue.

Detroit area periodontist, Dr. Joseph Nemeth can treat a gummy smile with two different procedures, depending on your situation.

A lip repositioning procedure will reduce the amount the lip pulls up when smiling, minimizing the amount of gums being exposed. This will make the smile more even and balanced looking.

A crown lengthening procedure will recontour uneven gingival margins. Teeth sometimes appear to be short, when they are actually the proper size, because they are covered up with excess gingival tissue. By removing some of the extra gum tissue, the teeth and gums will be proportionate to each other, resulting in a more beautiful, natural looking smile.

A smile should not cause you embarrassment. If your gummy smile bothers you, talk to Dr. Joe Nemeth about a lip repositioning or crown lengthening procedure.

Click HERE to see photos of gummy smile cases.