your dentist

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A “gummy smile,” also known as excessive gingival display, is a common dental complaint that is seen more often in women than in men. It is the result of a disproportionate ratio of gum tissue to teeth. When someone with excessive gingival display smiles, an above average amount of gum tissue is seen above the teeth. While this is not medically dangerous, a gummy smile can often bring about feelings of self-consciousness.

What Causes a Gummy Smile?

There are multiple causes of excessive gingival display. Genetics can play a role. If multiple family members have gummy smiles, for example, the cause is likely genetics. Other common causes are teeth that did not fully erupt (altered active eruption), an upper lip that is too short, long gums (also known as gingival hypertrophy), altered pass eruption (gums that do not recede as one ages), or an overgrowth of the upper jaw (also known as vertical maxillary excess). There is little one can do to prevent a gummy smile. However, there are non-surgical and surgical treatment options available to reduce the appearance of excessive gingival display.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Because there are multiple causes of a gummy smile, it is important to establish cause before researching treatment options. Once you have been given an accurate diagnosis from your dentist, ask if you qualify for non-surgical treatments. Sometimes, the fix is as simple as a round of orthodontic care. If a patient’s excessive gingival display is mild and is caused by something like overall wear or genetics, a round of orthodontics can be used to shift the patient’s bite into a more natural position; this will reduce the overall effect of excessive gingival display.

Veneers and Botox are two additional non-surgical, cosmetic options worth consideration. Applying veneers or crowns to the patient’s teeth will lengthen the teeth in a way that the disproportionate ratio of gums to teeth becomes proportional. Botox is another non-surgical treatment, however, it is not permanent. The doctor will inject a serum into the patient’s upper lip. This results in temporary (around three months) paralysis of the muscle and prevents the upper lip from rising too high whenever the patient smiles.

Finally, laser gum contouring is an additional procedure that is slightly more complex than the non-surgical treatments aforementioned, but it does not require general anesthesia and can be done at a dental office. The process involves removing excess gum tissue in order to produce an aesthetically-pleasing result. Recovery takes anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

Surgical Treatments

If you have exhausted all non-surgical treatments and cannot utilize any of them due to a more complex cause of excessive gingival display, there are a few surgical treatments that have been shown to produce optimal results. Perhaps the most complex in regards to the overall procedure and recovery time is orthognathic surgery. In layman’s terms, orthognathic surgery is surgery of the jaw. If the jaw is what is causing a gummy smile, orthognathic surgery involves re-contouring and relocating the patient’s maxilla before

securing it with plates and screws. Before going under the knife, most patients with jaw protrusions that are moderate to severe will undergo a year of orthodontic treatment. The surgery requires a hospital stay and boasts a long recovery time, but those who have opted for orthognathic surgery to rid themselves of a gummy smile report very noticeable results.

Other surgical treatments that are not as extensive as orthognathic surgery include lip repositioning surgery and a gingivectomy. The latter is performed by a periodontist and involves the removal and reshaping of gum tissue in an attempt to expose more teeth and less gum. Lip repositioning surgery is utilized when the upper lip is the cause of a gummy smile. The muscles in the lip are severed so that the lip cannot excessively lift and expose too much gum tissue.

The best treatment for a gummy smile depends on the cause of a gummy smile. Because the procedure is not a medical necessity, it is wise to “shop” around and to get a second opinion if you have been told that surgery is your only option. If a gummy smile has you feeling self-conscious, ask your dentist to get to the bottom of why you have excessive gingival display and what the best treatment route is to take based on your overall diagnosis.

Dental Implant

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Losing a tooth, or multiple teeth, is an extremely traumatic experience. Whether you suffer tooth loss in conjunction with illness or injury, the loss can leave you with a gap in your smile that impacts not only your appearance and your confidence, but also your ability to eat and in some cases, speak normally.

The good news is that there are solutions to restore your smile, return functionality, improve your appearance, and boost your confidence following tooth loss. The gold standard of tooth replacement is the dental implant.

While options like dentures and bridges are also available, dental implants that permanently affix to the jaw via a titanium screw that bonds with your jaw bone are really the best. Dental implants look and act the most like your natural tooth, which means you can eat, drink, brush, floss, smile, and laugh normally, without any fear of displacing less permanent replacement teeth.

In addition, the fact that the base of the implant bonds with your jaw in place of the roots of your tooth helps to reduce common problems like jaw bone recession and preserve the shape of your jawline. Of course, you have to be tested to ensure you’re a good candidate for dental implants, and this can be impacted by the use of tobacco products.

Can smokers qualify for dental implants or will you have to quit smoking to proceed? Here’s what you need to know if you’re currently a smoker in need of a dental implant.

Can Smokers Get Dental Implants?

In order to qualify as a good candidate for dental implant procedures, patients must first exhibit optimal oral health. In some cases, such as when tooth loss is related to conditions like gingivitis or periodontitis, you may first have to undergo treatments to eliminate infection, including cleaning by the dentist (in some cases deep cleaning) and perhaps the use of antibiotics.

In addition, your jaw bone has to be strong and healthy enough to support and bond with the titanium screw. If your jaw bone is too thin, there’s a possibility you could augment it through a bone graft procedure in preparation for the dental implant procedure. With or without such preparations, it could be at least several months or longer before the implant procedure is complete and you have your new tooth (crown) in place.

As for smokers, there are further complications. Tobacco use has been found to cause problems in all kinds of therapeutic oral procedures, including the installation of dental implants. Unfortunately, studies have shown that smokers are at higher risk of implant failure than non-tobacco users. As a result, many dentists won’t even offer this procedure to patients who persist in smoking or other forms of tobacco use.

How Quitting Increases Dental Implant Success

There are several good reasons to quit smoking – chiefly to reduce risk factors for certain cancers, heart disease, and other diseases, of course, but also to improve lung function and overall health. Smoking also takes its toll on oral health.

You’re probably well aware of the fact that tobacco use can stain your teeth and cause bad breath, but it can also have more serious ramifications. It causes dry mouth, which results in less flushing by saliva, growth of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and increased risk for the onset of gum disease and tooth decay.

Tobacco products, and particularly cigarettes, also inhibit your mouth’s ability to heal. When you inhale smoke, you singe the top layer of skin in your mouth, causing skin cells to thicken. Nicotine and other toxins also inhibit blood flow to tissues in the mouth, impacting healing.

This increases recovery following oral procedures, increases the risks for infection, and jeopardizes the process of osseointegration, by which the titanium screw implant bonds with your jaw bone to form needed support for your new false tooth. Studies show that smokers experience twice the failure rate for dental implants as non-smokers.

If you want the best opportunity to replace your missing tooth with a dental implant that lasts 20 years or more, you’re going to have to quit smoking to increase your odds of success. In truth, you may have to quit just to find a reliable dental professional willing to offer the service.

Whether you need to replace a missing tooth or you’re seeking cleaning or other dental services, you’ll find the caring and qualified dental professionals to serve your needs

dental implant

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Dental implants represent one of the most significant advances in modern dentistry. In the past, the only options available to those with missing teeth were dentures or bridges, each of which carry significant problems of their own. In contrast, dental implants provide an aesthetically pleasing and downright comfortable solution for those missing teeth due to injury or tooth decay. But what are they and how to they work? To answer that question, here are some ways dental implants can repair your smile.

1. The Good Stuff

Dental implants have the appearance and feel of normal teeth, lending an extra boost of self-confidence. Those accustomed to hiding their smile due to a large gap caused by a missing tooth, or because of teeth riddled with decay will feel comfortable smiling with dental implants. However, the advantages are not merely cosmetic.

Dental implants make eating and speaking much easier than dentures or bridges. This is because the dental implant procedure involves a titanium post that is secured into the jaw and holds the tooth in place much like a natural root. This means that unlike dentures, implants won’t loosen, allowing the patient to eat and chew their food as they would with a full set of teeth. Beyond that, dental implants offer significant oral health benefits, prevent bone resorption, and are much easier to clean than bridges (which are notoriously difficult due to their placement atop other teeth).

2. Prevention of Bone Loss

In addition to replacing missing or decaying teeth, dental implants also prevent the loss of jawbone tissue while guarding against further bone loss. As mentioned earlier, this is because dental implants replicate the functionality of a tooth root.

3. Success Rates

Not surprisingly, dental implants have greater longevity than bridges or dentures. And the technology is only continuing to improve. However, keep in mind that the best candidates for dental implants are those in good health. For the procedure to work as intended, it is crucial that the jawbone be able to grow around the implant. This process is called osseointegration. After it is successfully installed, the implant will function like a normal tooth, providing adequate stimulation to the jawbone and exhibiting typical regeneration.

4. Proper Care

In order for an implant to be successful, the patient must have good oral health habits. This means brushing and flossing teeth twice per day with a mechanical or interdental toothbrush capable of traversing between teeth with ease. It also means visiting the dentist on a regular basis, or every six months. This way they can make sure the implant remains in good condition for years to come. Proper care also means no chewing on hard foods. So say goodbye to the days of hard candy and ice, each of which can cause significant damage to both crowns and normal teeth.

5. I Don’t Have Enough Bone, Can I Still Get an Implant?

As mentioned above, the dental implant procedure requires a significant amount of jawbone in order to be successful. Unfortunately, those who have had untreated tooth loss or problems with their dentures are likely already experiencing degeneration of the jawbone. While not ideal, this does not stop those with jawbone loss from receiving implants. In fact, implants can still be installed after a bone graft or sinus lift, depending on where the bone has grown soft. A bone graft is required when the jawbone is too thin, while a sinus lift is required when the bone in the upper jaw or sinuses is too close to the jaw itself.

6. Prepare for the Cost

Unfortunately more and more insurance companies refuse to cover the costs of a dental implant, rendering the overall cost of the procedure much more expensive. How expensive? Implants can cost anywhere between $1000 and $2000 per tooth, and that doesn’t include the cost of the crown. However, don’t let cost be a deterrent. Few things are as socially and functionally important as a healthy smile, and there are still plenty of options in terms of financial assistance.

Those with unanswered questions about implants should consult their dentist prior to making any commitments to the procedure. That way any potential problems can be identified and dealt with prior to the installation.