Gummy Smile after braces

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Paula
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:59 pm

Gummy Smile after braces

#1 Post by Paula »

Hi there... I'm 43 yrs. old and I'll be getting my braces off this December. I find that I now have a "gummy smile" since my open bite has been corrected. I'm not happy with it at all and I've shared my concerns with my ortho. At first, he stated that there was nothing he could do about my gummy smile, and I'd have to look into surgery. During another visit, I asked if he could move my front teeth higher up. He stated that he could move them 2mm higher at most. My next appt. will be in two weeks and I'll be speaking to him in more detail about this.

Has anyone ended up with a gummy smile after braces?

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MsViola
Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:26 pm
Location: Texarkana, USA

#2 Post by MsViola »

Hi Paula,

I am still in braces and now have a gummy smile (the gum tissue is bunching up over some teeth). My Ortho and I discussed the problem at the beginning of my treatment. We knew that as my teeth moved inward I would probably have more excess tissue - and I do :( .

The plan is to have the procedure to remove the excess tissue once the braces are removed. Hopefully my teeth will look longer.

Hopefully, we will both be happy with our final results.

Good luck!
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1/17/07 - Upper (Clear) & Lower (Metal - self ligatating) Braces
Estimated treatment time = 30-36 months

Paula
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:59 pm

Thanks MsViola and Meryaten...

#3 Post by Paula »

Thank you both for your input. My gums are not bunching up over my teeth. They're not swollen at all but they do protrude further than my front teeth. My only hope is that my ortho will be able to move my teeth upwards.

I don't think I'm a good candidate for a "gum lift" (removing excess tissue) since my teeth are fairly big to begin with.

Personally, the idea of surgery scares me. I'm starting to feel as if I should have left my teeth alone... I've been through so much discomfort and I've second guessed myself throughout this whole ordeal.

I'll stop there. I really don't know how I'll feel once the braces are off. Things might take a turn for the better. Thanks again for the replies.

Lola
Posts: 170
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:29 am

#4 Post by Lola »

I can see a lot of my gum as well when I smile and was wondering if i could get something done, but like you I don't think I am a candidate. My teeth narrow at the top so removing any tissue would probably be a really bad idea. I looked it up on the net and saw that there are other things you can do. One was a minor surgery on the facial muscles to stop the smile lifing so high, so that your top lip covers the gums...
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Paula
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:59 pm

Hi Lola

#5 Post by Paula »

My teeth narrow at the top as well so I'd end up having triangular shaped teeth... talk about going from bad to worse! I can go on and on about what I should do next and it worries me at times. I've read stories of surgeries gone terribly wrong, and I'd take the chance if it were based on a health issue - but I'm reluctant to take it so far for cosmetic reasons.

I seem to always fall in the "minority" category. Such as, "98% of the people had no trouble at all..." Well, Lola, I always fall into the last 2% that had trouble! That's just me.

The time can't seem to go by quickly enough until my next ortho appointment! I've noticed that my bite has been causing me some problems. One side of my mouth bites down (top & bottom teeth touch) before the other side does and it's causing me pain.

Geez.

Hope your day is good. Bye for now.

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