Excessive gingival display - etiology, diagnosis and treatment modalities

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

Patients who have concerns with excessive gingival display invariably require referral to secondary care.

Main

Silberberg N, Goldstein M et al. Quintessence Int 2009; 40: 809–818

The authors cite others, that report excessive gingival display, referred colloquially as a 'gummy smile', has a prevalence of 10% in 20-30 year-olds and occurs more in women than men. Excessive gingival display decreases with age. As a consequence therefore, gingival exposure can give a 'youthful appearance'. Invariably the upper lip is of normal dimension, although it may appear short. Treatment of enlarged gingival tissues associated with less than ideal home care and medications 'should focus on meticulous oral hygiene'. For those with compensatory alveolar eruption, orthodontic intrusion or surgical periodontal resection can be used to reduce the excessive gingival display. If this condition is caused by vertical maxillary excess, orthognathic surgery can improve the dental aesthetic.