GUMMY SMILE CORRECTION

What is a Gummy Smile?

It is a condition in which a person shows a larger amount of gum tissue when smiling. Many people with gummy smiles suffer from embarrassment, self-consciousness, and even a general lack of self esteem. They often dislike their smile and wish there was something they could do to change it. The good news is that we can fix your gummy smile at our clinic using simple periodontal plastic surgery procedures.

You will be amazed by the beautiful and natural looking results achieved using these virtually painless surgical treatments.

Patient smile transformation before and after laser gingivectomy at Khoury Dental Clinic in BeirutPatient smile transformation before and after gummy smile at Khoury Dental Clinic in Beirut
Patient smile transformation before and after laser gingivectomy at Khoury Dental Clinic in BeirutPatient smile transformation before and after laser gingivectomy at Khoury Dental Clinic in Beirut
Patient smile transformation before and after laser gingivectomy at Khoury Dental Clinic in BeirutPatient smile transformation before and after laser gingivectomy at Khoury Dental Clinic in Beirut

How do we treat a gummy smile?

There are three ways to treat a gummy smile:

    1. Periodontal plastic surgery called “crown lengthening”. It consists of reshaping the gum in order to expose a greater area of the crown. The goal is to lengthen the appropriate teeth and create greater symmetry at the gum line.
      It is a very delicate procedure where we advise specialized dentists to perform it.
    2. Lip repositioning is a simple surgical procedure to treat ‘gummy smile’. The procedure restricts the muscle pull of the elevator lip muscles thereby reducing the gingival display while smiling. This procedure is safe and predictable with minimal risk or side effects.
    3. Botox (botulinum toxin) has recently been advocated in treatment of gummy smile. Minimally invasive injection of botox into the hyperactive muscles of upper lip reduces the upward movement of lip thus, resulting in less of gummy smile.

FAQ about gummy smile ? We’ve got you covered.

Not at all during the procedure. Dr. Jeff Khoury performs aesthetic gum contouring, crown lengthening, and lip repositioning under advanced local anesthesia, ensuring total numbness. Post-treatment recovery is exceptionally fast. Most patients report only mild tenderness—similar to a minor scrape—for 24 to 48 hours, which is easily managed with standard over-the-counter pain relievers.

Yes, surgical gummy smile treatments—such as aesthetic crown lengthening and gingivectomy—are completely permanent because the excess gum tissue and underlying bone margins are precisely reshaped. If your gummy smile is caused by a hyperactive upper lip, surgical lip repositioning also offers long-lasting stability. Temporary treatments like Botox only last 3 to 4 months and require ongoing maintenance.

The vast majority of adults with excessive gingival display are excellent candidates. However, because a gummy smile can be caused by various factors—such as short tooth crowns, a hyperactive upper lip muscle, or vertical maxillary jaw excess—treatment must be highly customized. At Khoury Dental Clinic, we perform a detailed digital smile analysis to identify the exact anatomical cause and choose the correct treatment protocol.

For surgical gum contouring and crown lengthening, the aesthetic transformation is instantly visible the moment the procedure is finished. Your new smile symmetry will continue to look more refined and settled as the soft tissue margins heal over the following 1 to 2 weeks. For surgical lip repositioning, the final, natural resting position of the lip is locked in as soon as initial healing completes.

We select the surgical modality that guarantees absolute symmetry and predictability. While dental lasers are widely marketed, they lack the sub-millimeter precision required for intricate smile design margins. In most micro-surgical cases, Dr. Jeff Khoury utilizes ultra-fine specialized surgical blades, providing unmatched tactile control to craft clean, scalloped gum architectures that heal beautifully.

For international dental tourism patients visiting Beirut for surgical gummy smile correction (crown lengthening or lip repositioning), we recommend a total stay of 7 to 10 days. This allows our team to complete your comprehensive digital smile design, perform the micro-surgical contouring, and fully evaluate the initial tissue adaptation and suture removal before you fly back home.

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