Chapters authored
Gummy Smile and Treatment with Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox)
A smile plays an important role in determining a person’s initial impression, and its assessment has become integral to clinical evaluation. A smile with an esthetic appearance should be symmetrical and should reveal less than 2 mm of gums when smiling. A gingival smile, gummy smile, or high smile line, is defined as the number of excess gums on the upper jaw exposed. This may have some serious psychological repercussions on the patient, which may sometimes lead them to conceal their smile to avoid “embarrassment.” One of the most common methods of treating a gingival smile resulting from an overactive lip is lip reposition as a surgical procedure and the injection of type A (Botox) toxin as an injectable inhibitor of muscle action. However, many patients refrain from surgical treatment because of fear of complications and pain. In this case, injections of botulinum toxin group A are an excellent alternative to surgery. The injection of botulinum toxin takes less time and with the correct dosage and compliance with the protocol of its administration causes much fewer complications. The study presented here is devoted to the disclosure of the potential of this tool in esthetic dentistry.
Part of the book: Botulinum Toxin