I have a gummy smile and I’m hoping to fix it. Do you know the best way for me to go about this? I pretty much hate my smile.
Linda
Dear Linda,
I’m glad you wrote. You want to be careful who you get to do this. Your average family dentist would not be the best choice to do this. Most average dentists would try to send you to an oral surgeon. They would want to do a radical surgery on your upper maxilla (the upper jaw) and shorten it. Not only is this a massive overtreatment, but it can cause your situation to get even worse if they don’t do it correctly. In fact, it can cause you serious TMJ problems.
If you go to an expert cosmetic dentist, they will have training in how to do this properly using a procedure known as a gum lift. They will remove a small amount of gum tissue and some of the bone support underneath. This will expose some of the roots of your upper front teeth. They will then place porcelain veneers over the tooth in order to deal with the exposed nerves and make the teeth look natural. I’ve put an image above showing a before and after example of a dentist so you can see how beautiful the results will be if they are an expert in cosmetic dentistry.
The training of the dentist is important. Take a look at the education and training section of Dr. Becker’s bio in order to get an idea of the kind of training you want. Dawson Academy and the Pankey institute are good examples of the type of cosmetic training that you will want from the dentist you choose. Another good program is the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.
