What Is A Gummy Smile?

A Gummy Smile is one where the upper lip lifts and exposes the gum underneath. It’s a smile that can leave those affected feeling self-conscious when they should be happy and relaxed.

How Is A Gummy Smile Treated?

A Gummy Smile can be treated with several small injections of Anti Wrinkle Muscle Relaxant into the offending muscles on either side of your nose. This reduces the amount of gum you expose when you smile by reducing the muscle pull lifting your top lip. Before Gummy Smile treatment your clinician needs to assess your suitability. Candidates who are ‘long’ from the nose to the mouth can look even longer after treatment, resulting in a ‘horsey’ appearance. Treatment should never detract from your attractiveness, so be sure to choose an experienced injector to help you decide whether to proceed.

What Is Involved With Gummy Smile Treatments With Dr. Jodie In Melbourne?

Some Gummy Smiles can be treated without invasive dental surgery. If you are a suitable candidate, Dr. Jodie will place Anti Wrinkle Muscle Relaxant injections on either side of your nose into the muscle that elevates your top lip. This will decrease the height of your lip and reduce the amount of gum showing when you smile. In conjunction with Anti Wrinkle treatments, Dr. Jodie can also use Dermal Filler injections to improve the shape and fullness of your top lip to minimise gum show with facial expression and enhance your smile even more. With Anti Wrinkle injections, Dr. Jodie will thoroughly clean the treatment area prior to injecting and use ice for numbing to ensure you are comfortable throughout. She will administer the Anti Wrinkle Muscle Relaxant with a fine needle that is relatively painless. Gummy Smile treatments with Dr. Jodie have no down time, so you can leave her Melbourne clinic and get back into your daily routine immediately.

Gummy Smile Treatment Melbourne

ALL CONSULTATIONS AND TREATMENTS ARE CONDUCTED PERSONALLY BY DR. JODIE OR HER HAND-SELECTED, HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF, WHO ARE COMMITTED TO DR. JODIE'S APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY, AS OUTLINED BELOW.

Why Does A Gummy Smile Occur?

A gummy smile is one where the upper lip lifts high enough to expose more of the gum when smiling. For some people, this can feel noticeable, even though smiling should be a relaxed and joyful expression.

Genetics and anatomy play a large role in its development. Often, a gummy smile is linked to the activity of the lip elevator muscles that raise the upper lip. There are two main patterns. The first resembles the lift of a venetian blind, where the LLSAN muscle pulls the upper lip upwards without changing the lip body itself. The second is more like rolling up a roller blind, where the orbicularis oris muscle curls the lip body tightly, exposing more gum and sometimes reducing visible lip when smiling. Other muscles, such as the levator labii superioris or the zygomaticus minor, which also assist in raising the lip and cheek, may contribute too. Because so many muscles converge around the mouth, variations in movement are common.

Structural features can also play a part, such as a longer upper jawbone, smaller teeth, or a shorter space between the nose and mouth. Volume changes in the lips and surrounding tissue over time may also influence how a gummy smile appears.

It’s important to remember that all smile types, including gummy smiles, are simply natural variations of facial expression. When you look closely at different faces, it becomes clear that these differences contribute to individuality and uniqueness.

How Can The Dr. Jodie Clinic Help With Your Gummy Smile Concerns?

If you are concerned by your gummy smile, the Dr. Jodie clinic offers consultations to help you explore suitable options.

The most appropriate solutions will depend on the underlying cause of your gummy smile. Options may include non-surgical treatments such as professional skin care programs, skin peels, LED therapy, mono threads, Laser Genesis, Meso Microneedling, or the Scarlet S Radio Frequency Microneedling device. These treatments can be selected and combined as part of a personalised plan, tailored to your individual presentation.

Please note: any treatments involving schedule 4 prescription medicines cannot be advertised online, in line with Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulations. For this reason, those options are not described here but can be discussed in detail at your consultation if appropriate.

Your first step is always a thorough consultation and assessment.

What Is Involved In Your Gummy Smile Consultation At Melbourne’s Dr. Jodie Clinic?

Your Dr. Jodie clinician will carefully assess your smile to identify the factors contributing to your gummy smile. Once these have been determined, a tailored treatment plan will be developed to suit your needs. Creating this plan requires a solid understanding of facial anatomy - something your Dr. Jodie clinician has been carefully trained in under Dr. Jodie’s supervision.

During your consultation, your clinician will explain the treatment process step-by-step, outlining the potential benefits, limitations, risks, and associated costs. You will be encouraged to take an active role in the discussion, with plenty of time set aside for questions and clarification. Standardised clinical photography will also be used to document your starting point and track your progress over time.

Tailored Approach To Your Gummy Smile Concerns In Melbourne

From the comfort of our welcoming clinic in Melbourne, your Dr. Jodie clinician will take the time to thoroughly analyse and assess your face. This is particularly important for gummy smiles as not all people are suitable for treatment. For instance, candidates who are ‘long’ from the nose to the mouth can look even longer after treatment, resulting in a ‘horsey’ appearance. Treatment should never detract from your attractiveness, so be sure to choose an experienced clinician who understands smile patterns and can help you decide whether to proceed.

At the Dr. Jodie clinic, your personalised plan for your gummy smile is always tailored to your exact individual needs and your unique smile. For instance, if you have a 'venetian blind' gummy smile, your Dr. Jodie clinician will recommend a different treatment solution than if you have a 'roller blind' gummy smile. You can feel reassured that she will never simply deliver a ‘cookie cutter’ or ‘one size fits all’ approach. Rather, her knowledge and careful assessment of your face will help guide you toward the most appropriate choice, with outcomes designed to complement your natural features.

Considered Cosmetic Care For Gummy Smile Concerns In Melbourne

At the Dr. Jodie clinic, if your gummy smile bothers you, it is possible to achieve a more balanced appearance. When it comes to gummy smile treatments, it is important to select an experienced clinician who understands the anatomy of your smile well. Over treatment or incorrect treatment choice can lead to an unnatural look that overly elongates your top lip, or in some cases, makes it hard to smile or even eat or speak. Our holistic approach to gummy smile concerns means that your Dr. Jodie clinician will consider your smile in the context of your whole face, with the aim of tailoring a treatment that complements your individual features.

Visit The Dr. Jodie Clinic For Your Gummy Smile Concerns In Melbourne

If you notice more gum showing when you smile, it can sometimes make you feel self-conscious or affect how freely you express yourself. At the Dr. Jodie clinic, we see many clients with gummy smile concerns, and in many cases, treatment options are available. Dr. Jodie brings over 15 years of experience in cosmetic medicine and has trained extensively alongside some of Melbourne’s leading cosmetic dermatologists. As a national clinical trainer for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies globally, she regularly teaches doctors, specialists, and nurses, sharing her knowledge of facial aesthetics and treatment techniques. Dr. Jodie has also mentored and personally trained her own clinicians to ensure a consistent standard of care across her team. When you attend the Dr. Jodie clinic, you can expect a thoughtful, holistic approach designed to support a balanced appearance for your smile.