Correct upper lip position has been well studied and has a significant impact on your facial appearance; especially when smiling. The lip line at rest should display 1.9mm of the central teeth (incisors) in men and nearly twice that, 3.4mm, in women. The aging, there is a gradual decrease in exposure.
A gummy smile is defined as exposure of the entire tooth and some of the gum line with smiling. The result is an awkward smile which manifests itself in reluctance to smile, laugh, or animate your face.
If you have a gummy smile, this can be improved with simple botox injection which last 3-4 months in most cases. Injections focus on relaxing the muscles of facial expression which elevate the lip: levator labii superioris. If done correctly, botox injections won't freeze your smile or limit expression around your mouth. By targeting only the elevating muscles, you will smile bigger and brighter without showing too much of your gums.
Botox is a widely used and safe medical drug which is injected into a muscle to temporarily deactive the muscle. In the upper third of the face it is used to soften or eliminate wrinkles caused by muscles of facial expression. For a gummy smile, relaxing the lip elevating muscles can have a profound effect our facial appearance and smiling.
Botox is a simple office procedure with no downtime taking less than 10 minutes. After injection, botox takes about 5 days to take effect and lasts 3 - 4 months in most cases.
