Gum shows only when smiling widely
Muscular gummy smile
The most common cause. The lip-lifting muscles contract further than average, and a prescriber assesses at consultation how treatment could reduce how far the lip travels.
Gummy Smile
The photo where you laughed properly and showed a little more gum than you would like. Most gummy smiles come from a muscle that lifts the upper lip a touch too far, and a prescriber on Wimpole Street assesses it at consultation and explains what to expect.
At a glance
- Cause Usually an overactive lip-lifting muscle
- Appointment 15 minutes
- Results Day 3, full at day 14
- Lasts 3 to 4 months
- Available at Wimpole Street, London
- Price £180
What it is and why it happens
A gummy smile is when a noticeable band of gum shows above the teeth when you smile. Around two to three millimetres passes unremarked. More than that is what people notice, and more importantly it is what the person smiling notices.
The most common cause is muscular. The muscles that elevate the upper lip contract further than average, lifting the lip higher and exposing more gum. It is simply how your smile is built, and it has nothing to do with gum health.
Less commonly the cause is dental or skeletal: short teeth that have not fully erupted, excess gum tissue, or an upper jaw that sits lower than average. Those are a job for a dentist or orthodontist.
Regents Park Aesthetics assesses which yours is before treating. Where the cause is muscular, this is one of the smallest treatments we do and one of the most loved, because it frees up a smile that has often been held back in photographs for years.
Know your type
Which type is yours?
Gum visible even at rest or slight smile
Short upper lip
A naturally short upper lip covers less. Injection softens the gum show and filler to add body to the lip helps alongside, so the two together give a lovely improvement.
Teeth look short, gum line low
Excess gum tissue
The gum itself covers more of the tooth than average. A dentist refines this with gum contouring and explains the result to expect.
Upper jaw sits low, gum shows extensively
Skeletal cause
Where the jaw position is the cause. Orthodontic or maxillofacial specialists look after this, and your clinician will point you to the right one.
How we assess and treat
Your clinician watches you smile several times, chatting as you go, because your natural smile shows far more than a single posed one.
We measure roughly how much gum shows and look at where the lift originates. We check tooth length and gum line, because short teeth and excess gum tissue are best looked after by a dentist.
Where the cause is dental or skeletal, your clinician refers you to a dentist or orthodontist. That is a small proportion of cases, and spotting it at the first visit means your time goes to the treatment that will work.
Treatment is deliberately gentle at a first appointment, so your smile stays soft and natural, and we review at two weeks.
Your options
Which treatment for your type of gummy smile?
As a guide, this is how we typically match each type to a treatment. Your own plan is always confirmed at consultation, and where a specialist would serve you better, your clinician refers you.
Type
Recommended treatment
Why
Muscular gummy smile
Relaxes the muscle that over-lifts the lip, the commonest cause
Skeletal cause
Assessment and referral
Jaw position, looked after by orthodontic or maxillofacial specialists
Treatments that address it
| Gummy Smile Injection A precise treatment for the muscles elevating the upper lip, assessed by a prescriber who explains what to expect. Fifteen minutes, no downtime, £180 including a two w | Lip Filler Where the upper lip is naturally short, adding body helps it cover more. Frequently combined with the injection rather than used instead of it. From £280. | |
|---|---|---|
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| £180 | £280 | |
| Explore Gummy Smile Injection | Explore Lip Filler |
Gummy Smile Injection
A precise treatment for the muscles elevating the upper lip, assessed by a prescriber who explains what to expect. Fifteen minutes, no downtime, £180 including a two w
- £180
Lip Filler
Where the upper lip is naturally short, adding body helps it cover more. Frequently combined with the injection rather than used instead of it. From £280.
- £280
Decision aid
Compared side by side
Injection
Lip filler
Gum contouring
Orthodontics
Treats
Muscular cause
Short lip, adds body
Excess gum tissue
Skeletal cause
Lasts
3 to 4 months
6 to 12 months
Permanent
Permanent
Downtime
None
48 hours
Days
Months to years
Price from
£180
£280
Varies
Varies
Can you treat it at home?
A gummy smile is about how far a muscle travels, so the change happens in clinic rather than at home, whatever the internet suggests.
Facial exercises and lip-training routines work on strength, and there is no evidence that they shorten how far the lip lifts.
Practising a smaller smile in a mirror can teach you to smile less widely, and most people who have done that for years come to Wimpole Street because they would love to laugh freely again.
The most useful home step is a look in the mirror to see what is causing yours. If your teeth look short and the gum line sits low, a dentist is the right first appointment.
Questions, answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Most commonly muscles that lift the upper lip further than average. Less commonly short teeth, excess gum tissue, or an upper jaw that sits low. The cause decides whether injection works.
Around two to three millimetres passes unremarked. More than that is what people notice, though what matters most is how it makes you feel about smiling.
£180, including a two week review.
Three to four months.
It looks like your smile, just with a little less gum. We treat gently and review at two weeks.
Where the cause is muscular, it is often suitable, and your prescriber explains what to expect. Where it is dental or skeletal, your clinician refers you to the right specialist.
If your teeth look short or the gum line sits low, it may be dental. If the gum only shows when you smile widely and your teeth look normal length, it is likely muscular. We assess properly at consultation.
Where the upper lip is naturally short, adding body helps it cover more. It is frequently combined with the injection.
Exercises build strength rather than shortening how far the muscle lifts the lip, and there is no evidence they help this. A clinic assessment is the place to start.
From day three, with the full effect at two weeks.
Regents Park Aesthetics
Feel like yourself, on a good day.
A medically led clinic where every plan starts with an assessment and every injectable is placed by a medical professional, so the result looks like you on your best day.
Address19 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8GE
Telephone020 7580 4813