Study: Gummy Smile Effectively Treated with New Surgical Technique

Comments: There's new hope for those who have a gummy smile, reveals a new study from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Ten female patients with excessive gum exposure were operated on between February and August 2008. The patients were filmed with a high-definition camera before the surgery and 6 months after. They were asked to perform their fullest smile and the maximum gum exposures were measured. The results: All patients experienced an aesthetic improvement in their smile with a reduction in gum exposure ranging from 1.59 mm to 4.83 mm. The procedure is done under local anesthesia and involves plastic surgeons making a series of incisions in the muscle that elevates the upper lip and lengthening the small piece of skin that connects the upper lip to the gums on the inside of the mouth.