Got a Gummy Smile? Veneers Offer an Easy Fix

About 10-25% of people of all ages have what’s known as a “gummy smile”: When they smile, they don’t just reveal lustrous, pearly whites. Instead, a good portion of their smile consists of their pinkish or brownish gum line.

Although there’s nothing wrong with a gummy smile, and it has no functional effects on chewing, you may feel self-conscious about smiling if you reveal too much gum. As a kid, you may have been bullied for your smile and called “horse toothed” or worse.

Fortunately, as an adult, you don’t have to put up with a smile that doesn’t meet your desires. Cosmetic dentistry offers several options for fixing a gummy smile. One of the easiest and most satisfying is to improve the length, shape, and color of your teeth with porcelain veneers. 

Addie Chang, DMD, and our entire team at her office in Tukwila, Washington, are devoted to making sure every one of our patients smiles happily, freely, and un-self-consciously. As part of our cosmetic dentistry practice, we offer porcelain veneers that take your smile from gummy and so-so to spectacularly bright, white, and gleaming.

Are veneers the right choice for you? Here’s why they may be. 

Veneers reshape your teeth

In addition to revealing too much gum when you smile, you may wish to create a more even line at the bottom of your teeth, too. If you've ever wondered why so many stars and celebrities were born with “perfect teeth,” here’s a secret: They weren’t. Most stellar smiles are due to veneers. Veneers:

• Lengthen teeth to improve proportions to gums 
• Close gaps between teeth
• Mask crooked teeth
• Cover stained teeth
• Create more uniform teeth
• Brighten your smile

We work with you to custom-design the right shape, length, and color of your veneers. We only recommend a degree of whiteness that matches your skin tone so that your veneers look and feel perfectly natural.

Veneers slip over your natural teeth

Veneers are wafer-thin, tooth-shaped shells that we apply directly to your prepared teeth. When you have veneers, they protect your teeth from damage, including damage from bacteria.

The one caveat with veneers is that you must be 100% certain that you want them; veneers are a lifetime commitment. To apply them, we must remove a thin layer of your enamel so that the cement bonds with your teeth. Therefore, if it’s time to replace your veneers, or if one falls off (a rare occurrence), you must get a new veneer.

Veneers are stain-resistant

Once your veneers are in place, you never undergo a professional or in-home whitening treatment again. The translucent, hard porcelain resists stains. You can freely indulge in many of your highly colored favorite foods and beverages, such as:

• Red wine
• Blueberries
• Coffee
• Tea
• Cola

Of course, you must care for your veneers to keep your underlying teeth and your supporting gums healthy and strong. Be sure to brush at least twice and floss once daily. And, of course, come to our office for biannual exams and professional cleanings.

Veneers require no surgery

Unlike some other treatments for gummy smiles, such as crown lengthening, you don’t need to undergo oral surgery with veneers. We don’t cut your gums. 

By creating more length in your teeth, we minimize the look of your gums. Your smile is beautifully proportioned, white, bright, and healthy.

Veneers may improve your health

Did you know that full, true smiles — Duchenne smiles — are good for your health? Full smiles and laughter trigger the release of endorphins and serotonin. These chemicals make you feel good and relieve stress.

Smiling makes you more creative and builds trust in those around you. Plus, smiles are contagious. Once you’re happy with your smile, you make others happy, too.

Veneers are long-lasting

When you care for your veneers as you would for your natural teeth, they can last for 10-20 years. However, they may last even longer.

Start smiling openly and happily again by improving a gummy smile with veneers today. Contact our happy, friendly team by phone or online form to book your personalized gummy smile consultation.