Lip Repositioning: Secret to Magnificent Smile
Do you have a gummy smile and are insecure about it? You are not alone. In fact, 15 to 20 percent of young adults are insecure about their gummy smiles. These people have all the tricks in the book to hide it. They cover their mouth using their hand or control how high their lips consciously rise. They deliberately use these tricks as they go through their day, which is a lot of work for something that just comes naturally for most people. But there is one procedure that might help: lip repositioning surgery.
What is Lip Repositioning Surgery?
Lip repositioning surgery is a procedure that aims to correct a gummy smile. It does so by reducing the amount of lip that rides up when a person smiles. This procedure is also known as lip-lowering surgery. Gummy tuck or reverse vestibuloplasty. It might seem intense but this procedure is less invasive than you think.
This procedure lowers the lip when you smile using a straightforward technique. A small part of gum tissue is removed from the upper lip and is then sutured to a lower position. Once the area heals, no scars are left. The end result is the lip does not pull up as high when you smile. There are no changes to the external part of the smile when you are not smiling. According to studies, this is a successful alternative for the treatment of gummy smiles.
Good Candidates for Lip Repositioning Surgery
Gummy smile affects 10 to 25 percent of adults, but not all of them are treated the same way. In some cases, the patient’s teeth are covered with excess gum tissue. Thus, their smile is not a lip issue; the problem is that there are too many gums. For these patients, sculpting the gums is recommended in a procedure called a gingivectomy.
If your lip rises too high when you smile, you are a good candidate for lip-lowering surgery. Think of lip repositioning as adjusting a window with a shade. If you pull a shade up and it goes all the way up to the ceiling, it would expose the rod and all the mechanical hardware. Although the window hardware is a fixture in windows, it is not ideal to see in the room. Thus, you adjust the shade so it rises up and allows light to enter the room without hiding the view outside. Lip lowering surgery adjusts the height of the lip like you would a shade on a window.
How Long Does Lip Repositioning Take?
The lip repositioning procedure is a simple and predictable surgical process. The whole procedure mostly takes about 45 minutes to complete, although this can vary depending on the dentist. It can last longer, especially for dentists who allow for plenty of time to ensure that their patient is comfortable before starting and lots of time to discuss post-operative instructions after the procedure.
Lip-lowering surgery can be completed with intravenous sedation or local anesthesia. Many patients are comfortable with completing the procedure using local anesthesia, but those with high anxiety might opt to go with IV sedation.
Dentists for Lip Repositioning Surgery
Treating a gummy smile is a unique treatment in dentistry, with only a few dentists skilled and qualified enough to perform correction procedures. So if you have a gummy smile and you want to correct it, make sure that you get the treatment done by a qualified professional who can satisfactorily do the job with the least discomfort possible. After the procedure and some minor healing, you can finally enjoy a more beautiful smile.
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