If you have a high lip line, you may notice that when you smile it exposes a large amount of gum area above your upper teeth.
Gummy smiles occur for a variety of reasons, most commonly a short upper lip, excessive gum tissue, or small teeth, all of which are genetic. Ideal smiles show up only to about two millimeters of gum. Anything over three to four millimeters of gum showing starts to look ‘gummy.
Botox injections used skillfully, can slightly lower the upper lip line, decreasing the visibility of the upper jaw gums. This involves a discreet treatment of the muscles that position the upper lip onto the gums and can lower the upper lip line slightly to produce a less ‘gummy’ smile.