Recently, we have been taking a look at some of the more advanced uses of Botox that are quite rarely seen. For instance, check out one of our previous articles on bunny lines to learn more about another infrequent procedure.
Dr Hennessy, our provider of industry-leading Botox training courses, has seen Botox treat many different procedures first-hand.
Since it is relatively cheap and reversible, Botox can be considered for a whole range of unconventional and surprising issues.
What is a gummy smile?
A gummy smile happens to certain people when their upper lip lifts above their teeth too much, exposing the upper gums and resulting in what can be perceived as an unattractive ‘gummy’ smile.
This may be caused by several issues. The main reason this happens that is treatable by Botox is when the muscle that elevates the upper lip is hyperactive. Occasionally, a gummy smile can be made worse if you have a thin upper lip, contributing to the problem by exposing the upper gum even more.
A true gummy smile is the result of vertical maxillary excess. In order to correct this, you may need a maxillary impaction to reduce the overall height of the maxilla.
Can Botox fix a gummy smile?
Dr Hennessy understands that Botox is a very good choice for gummy smile treatment if the gummy smile is caused by a hyperactive upper lip muscle. Experienced facial plastic surgeons that know where to inject Botox for gummy smile reduction will be able to deliver excellent results.
Botox will paralyse the muscle animation and inhibit your smile moving too high up and excessively showing your gums.
There is the chance that Botox may completely lower the upper lip so that your gum line might not be visible at all when smiling. Lowering the upper lip too much can restrict movement and affect your day to day movement of your lips, impairing your ability to sing or even play certain instruments.
How many units of Botox for gummy smile reduction?
This is largely dependent on a patient’s individual case. Botox is usually injected on each side of the mouth with 2-3 units being injected per side.
If you need more units then it is advised to wait for a follow up consultation a week after your first appointment rather than injecting more units in one session.
How long does Botox last for gummy smile reduction?
Generally, when treating gummy smiles with Botox, we will need you to return after a period of around 3-6 months for a follow up appointment. The more treatments you receive can lead to more effective results that last even longer.
Recovery is more or less immediate. It may take some to time for you to get used to the restricted movement in your lip, but your unwanted gummy smile problem will be resolved.
And, because you will get used to not using those specific hyperactive muscles around your mouth, the muscles may lose some of their overactivity permanently.
Check out our article on surprise uses for Botox for more information on unusual Botox treatments, and get in touch with Dr Hennessy Academy to begin Botox training or one of our Botox courses to be a fully certified aesthetic practitioner. You can also book onto one of our other cosmetic courses, such as our lip filler courses.
