Some patient might not be happy with their smile, not because of anything to do with their teeth, but because of the amount of gum they show when they smile. This is called the Gummy Smile.

The hyperfunction of the lip elevator muscles is the main cause for Gummy Smile when the lip length is normal, the lower third of the face is proportional to the other thirds and the eruption of the teeth is normal (occasionally the teeth might be partly covered by gum, not having erupted in full).

Some cases of Gummy Smile may require complex treatment involving crown lengthening, braces, orthognathic surgery and crowns or veneers. Lip repositioning is an easy solution for many cases, where the amount of gum that is normally displayed is reduced by doing a simple repositioning of the inner part of the lip line.