Dr. Damico has good news for you if you are bothered by too much gum showing when you smile. HINT: It totally has to do with Botox®!
Not everyone with excessive gingival display (as it’s called in the medical world) is concerned about how they look when they smile or laugh. But for some, it can create feelings of embarrassment, awkwardness, self-consciousness, or even lower self-esteem. Whether or not you’re proud of your smile just the way it is, or if it has bothered you for years, most people don’t even know that there is anything you can do to reduce a gummy smile!
Guess what? Botox® does that too!
Your dentist, orthodontist or other specialist may say nothing at all, or they may have told you that your gummy smile should be fixed with jaw surgery, lip surgery or laser gum contouring procedures to lengthen the crowns of your teeth. Some might offer bulky (and often painful) devices that can take up to 2 years to yield results. While the advantages of these solutions are that they offer “permanent” outcomes, you may end up spending thousands of dollars for a procedure that is hard on your body and might not even work. (Sadly, “Reoccurrence” is a possibility even after altering your jaw bone, lip tissue or cutting out gums- not to mention the secondary complications associated with surgical options.)
We say- why not try the simplest, least invasive, most pocket-book friendly option first?
Dr. Damico believes that Botox® can help reduce the amount of gum display for almost all people seeking a non-surgical treatment. Botox® offers the simplest solution with beautiful results. This painless treatment has helped many of Dr. Damico’s patients love their smiles already!
Botox® is a low-cost, high-reward option for treating excessive gum display. Treatment averages just 9 units of Botox®, and can range from 6 to 12 units. This means the average treatment cost is just $108. It could take a lifetime of Botox® treatments for gummy smile to equal the expenses compared to the cost of surgery or orthodontic devices. (One source says gingivectomy surgery is “$300 to $8000”.)
Just to sweeten the deal, Botox® injections above the lip take maybe 30 seconds, there’s zero down time associated with a non-surgical option such as Botox® and you’ll see results within 3 to 14 days. You might be thinking, “Botox® might only be $100, but I’m not fooled because I know I will have to treat it again every few months!” While it is true that Botox® is not a permanent treatment, with proper patient care, your Botox® can have a cumulative effect. Botox® weakens the muscles responsible for overexposing your gums, and over time you will need less frequent treatments to see the same awesome results.
Speaking of cumulative effects…
Check out these results from a recent gummy smile treatment by Dr. Damico:
She received 9 units of Botox® to relax the muscles creating her gummy smile, but she also decided to use lip filler to take her results to the next level! Dr. Damico used 1ml of Juvederm Volbella® to add subtle volume and balance in her lips which gives her even more tooth and gum coverage when she smiles. We’re so glad she explored her options and trusted Dr. Damico to help her! Her results are amazing!
Dr. Damico can help you decide if Botox® is the right treatment for you.
Consultations at Skin Care Fort Worth are totally, really 100% actually free, for real. To make your appointment, give us a call at (817)738-9268! You can also request an appointment by filling out our form below:
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In addition to Dr. Damico’s personal experience treating his patients for gummy smile with Botox®, these sources on gummy smile, gum lift surgery, laser gum contouring, excessive gingival display, orthognathic surgery, scalpel gum contouring, gum recontouring, lip repositioning surgery, cosmetic dentistry, periodontal plastic surgery, crown lengthening, gingivoplasty and gingivectomy were used to put this blog together:
“Lip repositioning: An alternative cosmetic treatment for gummy smile” 2014, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine
“Gummy Smile Surgery” Aesthetic Edit, 6/2020
“Gum Lift” RealSelf, 2019
“Jaw Surgery: What You Should Know” RealSelf, 2019
“Temporary anchorage devices – Mini-implants” NCBI, 2010
“Gummy Smile – Causes & Treatments” Consumer Guide to Dentistry
“Gummy smile” Wikipedia, 4/2020
“Gummy Smiles” Dear Doctor Dentistry & Oral Health, 2013
“The gummy smile dilemma” Orthodontic Practice US, 4/2019
“3 Treatment Options For A Gummy Smile” Colgate Oral Care Center
“A Successful Management Of Sever[e] Gummy Smile Using Gingivectomy And Botulinum Toxin Injection: A Case Report“ International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, 12/2017
“WHAT CAUSES A GUMMY SMILE AND CAN IT BE FIXED?“ Moon Orthodontics
“Gummy Smile Surgery Cost – 2020” Omega Dental Specialists
“Risks and complications of mini-screw anchorage in clinical orthodontics” ScienceDirect, 2014
P.S. We don’t think your dentist is a meanie who wants you force you into gingivoplasty or orthognathic surgery. But it is concerning to us at Skin Care Fort Worth the general lack of information available about Botox® as a treatment option for gummy smile! Aesthetics is a fragile topic and it is difficult for providers to approach a patient and ask if their smile bothers them. That’s why we believe it’s important for people to know that gummy smile can be addressed by a doctor and to know ALL of their options before deciding which route they want to take. We also want to acknowledge that Botox® can be used in combination with cosmetic dentistry to achieve results you’ll love. Of course, there are cases in which the jaw bone must be surgically altered or there is simply not enough upper lip tissue for Botox® to help correct a gummy smile. However, the majority of gummy smiles have, at least in part, overactive upper lip muscles to blame- and Botox® does just the trick!
Reading this blog is not a substitute for seeking professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any concerns you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. This blog is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only.
In health and beauty,
Irene
