What causes a gummy smile?
A gummy smile is caused by one or more of the following: the gums, the lips, the position of the front teeth, or the upper jawbone, and the treatment differs for each cause. It is also common for several causes to overlap.
| Cause | Suspect it if you see this | Main treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Gums cover much of the teeth | Front teeth look short and square | Gum contouring |
| Upper lip rises a lot | Fine at rest; gums show only when you smile widely | Botox, lip surgery |
| Front teeth sit too low | Only the front gum line is low, and upper and lower front teeth overlap deeply | Orthodontics |
| Upper jawbone is vertically long | Hard to close the lips comfortably; lower face looks long | Jaw surgery with orthodontics |
Showing 1–2mm of gum when smiling is often considered within the natural range. If it does not bother you, treatment is optional.
How long does Botox for a gummy smile last?
Botox for a gummy smile weakens the muscle that lifts the upper lip to reduce gum exposure; the effect usually lasts 3–6 months and gradually wears off. It must be repeated to maintain it.
It works when the lip is the cause, but has limits when the gums cover the teeth or the jawbone is long. If the dose is too high or the placement is off, the smile can look awkward or uneven between left and right, but such changes also usually go back as the effect wears off.
Can gum contouring improve a gummy smile?
If the front teeth look short because the gums are covering them, gum contouring is the most direct method. It raises the gum line to reveal the hidden tooth, so the front teeth look naturally longer and gum exposure decreases.
What matters is the position of the bone beneath the gums. A certain distance is needed between the bone and the edge of the gums, so if only the gum is trimmed while the bone sits high, the gum comes back down. In that case, crown lengthening, which also reshapes the bone, is needed. Details are in Do gums come back down after gum contouring?
Gum contouring is usually done under local anesthesia, and for a few days the gums may be swollen and sting when you brush. Once the gum line is raised it is hard to reverse, so how much to raise it must be decided carefully before starting.
When does a gummy smile need orthodontics or surgery?
If the front teeth sit much too low, orthodontics moves them up. A small orthodontic mini-screw may be placed in the jawbone as an anchor, and this is usually done within the period of full orthodontic treatment.
A skeletal gummy smile, where the upper jawbone itself is vertically long, changes only a little with gum contouring or Botox. In that case, the option of combining jaw surgery with orthodontics is discussed with oral and maxillofacial surgery.
How we do it at Wonjin Dental
I first look at gum exposure at rest and when smiling widely, the length-to-width ratio of the front teeth, and the height of the gum line on the left and right. From these three, I gauge whether the cause is the gums, the lips, or the position of the teeth. For cases where the gum line is reshaped along with veneers, see Is gum contouring done with porcelain veneers?
| Item | Wonjin Dental price |
|---|---|
| Gum contouring | ₩110,000 |
| Botox | ₩200,000 |
| Orthodontic mini-screw | ₩100,000 |
| Partial orthodontics (MTA) | ₩1,800,000 |
These are Wonjin Dental’s published fees as of September 2026; cosmetic treatment items include VAT. Other items can be found on the full fee schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Does a gummy smile have to be treated?
It is not a health problem, so it does not have to be treated. However, if the gums cover the teeth and make brushing difficult, or the front teeth sit low and the upper and lower teeth bite deeply, we also look at the functional problem.
How long is recovery after gum contouring?
If only the gums are reshaped, there is usually little discomfort in daily life after 1–2 weeks, and the gum line takes about 1–3 months to settle into its final position. If the bone was also reshaped, recovery takes a little longer.
Are Botox and gum contouring ever done together?
If both the gums and the lips are causes, they are sometimes done together: gum contouring corrects the tooth length, and Botox reduces the remaining lip movement. The order and whether each is needed are decided after diagnosis.
