Bothered by your gummy smile in pictures? The good news is you can address excessive gingival display. Discover effective treatment options, including orthodontic treatments in some instances, as revealed by the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.
Keep reading to learn about the causes of and treatments for excessive gingival display. We’ve also listed some famous gummy-smiled celebrities, including a few Hollywood A-listers.
What is a gummy smile?
Flashing your gums a bit when you smile isn’t a problem – it can even make you look younger and more appealing. Of course, it’s understandable if your gummy grin makes you insecure about not having a perfect smile and you are curious how to correct it.
A gummy smile, more technically known as excessive gingival display or overexposure of the maxillary gingiva, occurs when over 2 millimetres of your gum shows above your teeth when you smile. Keep in mind that some experts do not consider this excessive unless 3 or 4 millimetres of gum are displayed.
Gummy smiles are more of an aesthetic or cosmetic concern and usually isn’t something that affects your health. However, having yours treated can make your smile more photogenic and help you be more confident at work and in your everyday life.
According to a study in Dental Clinics of North America, treatment will depend on identifying the causes of excessive gingival display. The gumminess of your smile can have a combination of causes rather than a single one, so it’s vital to get a professional opinion from your dentist, orthodontist, or dental surgeon.
Gummy smile causes
Although multiple factors can cause excessive gingival display, common causes of this condition include
Short upper lip length
Your upper lip length affects your lip line and, as a result, the overall balance of your smile. Lip length is a genetic trait, and it’s measured from just below your nose (subnasal) to the lowest point of your upper lip at the midline when your mouth is at rest. A very short upper lip line can even mean that your mouth remains open when relaxed, showing your upper front teeth.
Hypermobile upper lip (HUL)
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that patients seeking gummy smile treatment were highly likely to have a hypermobile upper lip. Also called a hyperactive lip, this is defined as more than 8 millimetres of upper lip movement between a rested, closed-mouth position to the widest smile you can manage.
Altered passive eruption
Your teeth erupt in two phases: active and passive. With active eruption, the crowns of your teeth emerge from your top or lower jaw bone. Next comes passive eruption, where your gums move vertically to expose your teeth up to the crown. Altered passive eruption means the gums don’t fully move to the correct position, often covering part of your teeth and making them look shorter.
Another study in the Journal of Dentistry found that passive eruption continues into your late teens. So if you feel your smile is particularly gummy, you may want to wait until your twenties before looking into treatment. The eruption period may also be a reason a gummy smile is often associated with youthful looks.
Gingival hyperplasia
The Victoria Department of Health’s Better Health Channel describes gingival hyperplasia as a condition in which gum tissue thickens and grows over your teeth. Also known as gingival enlargement or overgrowth, gum hyperplasia can be triggered by certain drugs and medications.
Vertical maxillary excess (VME)
A VME refers to an overgrowth of the maxillary bone in a way that can give the lower half of your face an elongated look. The maxillary bone is in the centre of your face and holds your upper teeth. It extends around your nose and below your eyes.
Dentoalveolar extrusion
A dentoalveolar extrusion happens when teeth grow outward beyond normal alignment. Gummy smiles are often associated with anterior dentoalveolar extrusion, which is when the upper incisor teeth protrude. The extrusion can happen because of multiple factors, including gum disease or dental misalignments like a deep bite.
7 Gummy-smiled celebrities
You don’t need to be too worried about a gummy smile, especially in your teens and twenties. After all, this is typically a purely aesthetic concern that has even affected top celebrities who may not have had treatment for this until later in life, if at all.
Learn about a few celebrities with excessive gingival displays below.
Nicole Kidman
Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe award winner Nicole Kidman is well-known for her elegance and beauty. But the Moulin Rouge! and The Hours star sported a very gummy smile in her early career. Hello! Magazine speculates the Australian-American actress and producer had gum contouring dental procedures done to correct her excessive gingival display.
Tom Cruise
Possibly due to malocclusions, or misalignment, of his teeth, the Mission: Impossible star is another gummy-smiled celebrity. Tom Cruise’s journey to a straighter smile has been well-documented in the media, especially as the actor sported braces at the premiere of his 2002 movie Minority Report.
Beyoncé Knowles
Another top celebrity with a naturally gingival smile is American singer-songwriter and businesswoman Beyoncé Knowles – known popularly by her first name only. It may be interesting to note that when she started her career with girl group Destiny’s Child in the 1990s, it was with fellow gummy-smiled celebrity Kelly Rowland (who you may remember had a stint as a judge on The Voice Australia).
Miley Cyrus
A list of celebrities with gummy smiles wouldn’t be complete without singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus. The Hannah Montana star seems to have a short upper lip, given resting expressions that flash her front teeth.
James Franco
You may know this American actor and filmmaker from his roles in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, 27 Hours, Eat Pray Love, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Part of his look includes a wide smile flashing some gum, especially when he laughs.
Gwen Stefani
Another celebrity with a highly publicised smile makeover is pop star Gwen Stefani, who rocketed to fame in the 1990s as the lead singer of Grammy Award-winning band No Doubt, known for their punk-rock music with infusions of ska and reggae. Stefani, a repeat judge on the American franchise of The Voice, has a noticeably short upper lip, which contributes to her gummy smile.
Jim Carrey
Trying to imagine what a hypermobile lip looks like? Canadian actor and comedian Jim Carrey puts the “hyper” in “hyperactive lip.” His exaggerated mouth movements easily became a hallmark of his acting in films like The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
How to fix gummy smiles
Gummy smile treatment varies because the causes for this condition can be a combination of multiple factors, as listed above. On your next dental check-up, ask them about the right treatment options for you.
Here are a few common treatments for excessive gingival display:
Gingivectomy
This process involves removing gum tissue to lengthen your crown. There are two kinds of gingivectomy: with or without osseous or bone resectioning. Which kind you should have will depend on your dental surgeon’s recommendation.
Botulinum toxin A (Botox)
Botox is a frequently recommended treatment for gummy smiles caused by hyperactive lip movement. The toxin paralyses your muscles and reduces how much movement your lips can make when smiling.
Lip repositioning surgery
This operation targets the muscles of your lips, specifically how much your lips pull back from your teeth when you smile. It uses electrocautery, laser, or a scalpel to address mild vertical maxillary excess, hypermobile lip, and short upper lip length.
Hyaluronic acid infusion
This is a somewhat new technique to address gummy smiles. A small amount of hyaluronic acid is injected around the nose to reduce the movement of your upper lip when smiling. The injection is to a sensitive area. Try to ensure the health professional administering it is experienced and knowledgeable to avoid hitting arteries and veins.
Orthodontic treatment
Straighten out gummy smile-causing dentoalveolar extrusions or other teeth misalignments with the help of orthodontic treatments like braces, retainers, and other types of aligners. Consult your dental health practitioner to find the best alignment solution for your needs and preferences.
For a discreet option, you may want to look into invisible dental aligners like Straumann’s ClearCorrect aligners. Because they are virtually transparent and removable, pushing your teeth into the right position is more convenient and requires fewer lifestyle changes than you’d see with fixed or permanent aligners.
The clear aligners use a unique tri-layer material called ClearQuartz custom-made for each patient, so they’re both sturdy and comfortable. The online smile assessment helps you determine if you’d be a good candidate for ClearCorrect.
Dentoalveolar surgery
Also known as orthognathic surgery, this option is reserved for cases with severe vertical maxillary excess.
Regardless of which gummy smile treatment you decide on, if any, remember to think of this as an investment in yourself or an opportunity for self-care. Removing the causes of this condition will help you sport a beaming, confident smile, which is sure to open doors both socially and professionally and improve your life and self-esteem.
References:
Andijani, R.I., & Tatakis, D.N. (2019, March). Hypermobile upper lip is highly prevalent among patients seeking treatment for gummy smile. Journal of Periodontology, 90(3):256-262. doi: 10.1002/JPER.18-0468.
Better Health Channel, Government of Victoria Department of Health. (n.d.). Teeth and medication. betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
Brizuela, M., & Ines, D. (2023, March 19). Excessive gingival display. National Library of Medicine – National Center for Biotechnology Information. StatPearls Publishing. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Dym, H., & Pierre, R II. (2020, April). Diagnosis and treatment approaches to a “gummy smile.” Dental Clinics of North America, 64(2):341-349. doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2019.12.003.
Hargrave, H. (2024, January 17). Nicole Kidman’s teeth transformation in before-and-after photos – what has she had done? Hello! Magazine.
Morrow, L.A., Robbins, J.W., Jones, D.L., & Wilson, N.H. (2000, September). Clinical crown length changes from age 12-19 years: a longitudinal study. Journal of Dentistry, 28(7): 469–73. doi: 10.1016/s0300-5712(00)00023-3.
Mostafa, Diana. (2017, December). A successful management of sever gummy smile using gingivectomy and botulinum toxin injection: A case report. International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, 42(C). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2017.11.055
Sabri, R. (2005, March). The eight components of a balanced smile. Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, 39(3): 155–67.
Tatakis, D.N, & Silva, C.O. (2023, November). Contemporary treatment techniques for excessive gingival display caused by altered passive eruption or lip hypermobility. Journal of Dentistry, 138:104711. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104711.
