Gummy smile - A dilemma

Abstract

Gummy smile patients have always presented orthodontist with a huge dilemma. Gum tissue visible in the smile line should have balanced, even contour that are in harmony with upper lip. It is for this reason, that many people with a gummy smile /excessive gingival display feel their smile to be unattractive, often times feeling reluctant to smile at all. Gummy smile is usually characterized by overgrowth of anterior maxillary vertical excess, the outcome may not always be successful with conventional orthodontic therapy alone. In such cases, surgical therapy, lefort impaction/maxillary gingivectomies are often chosen to gain a good smile. However, the patient may not be willing to undergo surgical treatment, an alternative method must be considered to treat the gummy smile. This is a case report on non-surgical treatment for correction of gummy smile using mini-implants in which patient has achieved satisfactory results. Keywords: Gummy smile, Mini implants.