What are my options to fix a gummy smile, and how much does it cost? (photo)

From your photo, it looks like you have a short clinical crown height of your anterior teeth.

There does not seem to be a skeletal problem (e.g. vertical upper jaw excess) or short upper lip.

There are various ways to treat a gummy smile.

The height of the overlying gum is determined mostly by the height of the underlying bone. Hence your Dentist/Periodontist will need to examine you clinically and radiographically in order to recommend a suitable treatment plan for you.

Based on the photo alone, a possible treatment plan will be to do a small surgical procedure to adjust the underlying bone and excess gum to achieve a more aesthetic profile.

The process involves:

1) Dental examination, dental x-ray, gum cleaning to eliminate any current gum inflammation.

2) Digital software to give you an idea of the final result.

3) Study models of your upper teeth to produce a surgical guide (to know how much to adjust.

4) Surgical procedure usually (1 hour) to adjust the excess gum).

5) Review

The fee for gummy smile varies, depending on the number of teeth involved and the dentist/Periodontist. Medisave is claimable for crown lengthening surgery to about 650SGD.

There are pros and cons but I think it is better for you to have the procedure after your orthodontics.

You want to be happy with the final position of your teeth before you undergo gummy smile correction to avoid relapse.

Hello there!

Congratulations on almost getting your braces off soon. Though your smile may not be exactly where you want it to be yet, I'm sure that there has been significant improvement.

When it comes to gummy smiles, sometimes it is due to a short upper lip, or due to skeletal discrepancy called "Maxillary Excess" which means that the upper jaw is long.

The options for correcting a gummy smile would be as follows

1. Botulinium Toxin A (Botox) to the upper lip. This is a temporary but most minimally invasive approach where botox will be used to relax the upper lip muscle and give a less gummy smile.

Estimated price range is between $200 - 500 depending on which clinic you go to and how much is needed.

2. Gingivectomy of the upper gums. This is a more invasive approach where your gum positions are readjusted according which would also make your teeth look slight longer.

Estimated price range is between $1500 - 3500 depending on whether you are being treated by a general practitioner or specialist and which clinic you go to. This may be medisave claimable for Singaporeans and PRs but it is best to consult with your dentist first.

3. Osteotomy of upper jaw. Surgical repositioning of the upper jaw which would be the most invasive approach to take which based on the photo provided is unlikely needed in your case.

Estimated price range is above $5000 and this procedure can only be done by an oral maxillofacial surgeon specialist. This is a full surgical procedure and medisave claimable for Singaporeans and PRs.

I hope you find this information helpful and all the best!

Warm regards,

Dr Beth