Your Smile Deserves the Spotlight—Not Your Gums
When someone points a camera at you and says, “Smile!” you might hesitate, giving a tight-lipped grin to cover your gummy smile—known as excessive gingival display. This common concern affects up to 14% of women and 7% of men, and it’s often correctable with a simple laser treatment at Allouez Family Dental in Green Bay, WI.
Understanding the specific causes of a gummy smile is crucial for finding the right solution. In this post, our dentists, Dr. Daniel Fama and Dr. Kyle Whiteside, outline the five most common causes and how laser gum contouring can address them in a single visit.
Contact our Green Bay dental practice at (920) 339-8980 to schedule your dental consultation. We serve patients from Green Bay, Abrams, Denmark, Casco, and Seymour, WI.
What Is a Gummy Smile?
A gummy smile is generally defined as 3–4 mm or more of visible gum tissue above the upper teeth when smiling. It’s not a disease or a sign of poor oral health—but it can have a real impact on how confident you feel about your appearance.
The most important thing to understand is that the cause of your gummy smile matters. Different causes call for different approaches, which is why a personal consultation with Dr. Fama or Dr. Whiteside is always the best starting point. That said, the vast majority of gummy smiles we treat at Allouez Family Dental are highly responsive to laser gum reshaping—often in a single appointment.
The 5 Most Common Causes of a Gummy Smile
Cause #1: Excess Gum Tissue (Gingival Hyperplasia)
This is the most straightforward cause: simply too much gum tissue covering the teeth.
- The teeth themselves may be perfectly normal in size—they’re just hidden beneath an overgrowth of gum.
- Gingival hyperplasia can be genetic (some people are simply born with more gum tissue), but certain medications can also trigger it. For example, some blood pressure medications, anti-seizure drugs, and immunosuppressants are known contributors.
- Hormonal changes—such as those during pregnancy or puberty—can also cause temporary gum tissue overgrowth.
These factors are the most direct candidates for laser gum contouring. Excess tissue is precisely and gently removed, revealing the natural tooth beneath. Results are visible immediately and are long-lasting. For many patients with gingival hyperplasia, a single laser session resolves the issue completely.
Cause #2: Altered Passive Eruption (Teeth That Didn’t Fully “Emerge”)
During normal dental development, teeth erupt through the gumline, and the gums naturally recede to a stable position. In some people, this second part—the recession—doesn’t happen as it should. The gums remain draped over a larger portion of the tooth than they should be, even in adulthood.
- Here’s the interesting part: Many patients with altered passive eruption actually have completely normal-length teeth. They’re not short—they’re just partially buried. This is one of the reasons gum reshaping can produce such dramatic before-and-after results for this group. The teeth were there all along.
Laser contouring removes the gum tissue that should have naturally receded, uncovering the full crown of each tooth. This is one of the most rewarding cases we treat at Allouez Family Dental—patients are often amazed at the length and shape of their teeth once the tissue is removed.
Cause #3: A Short or Hyperactive Upper Lip
Not all gummy smiles are caused by the gums themselves. Some individuals have a naturally short upper lip that rises higher when smiling, exposing more gumline, while others have more active lip muscles that pull the lip up excessively.
In such cases, the teeth and gums may be proportionate, but the lip’s behavior creates the appearance of excess gum exposure. Laser gum contouring might not fully address these issues since they are anatomical or muscular rather than related to tissue.
Dr. Fama or Dr. Whiteside may suggest a combination approach, possibly including Botox* to relax the overactive lip muscle or a minor lip repositioning. This highlights the importance of a personalized consultation to develop a tailored treatment plan.
*Please note we may not provide Botox at our Green Bay office and may provide referrals instead.
Cause #4: Vertical Maxillary Excess (Jaw Development)
In some cases, the maxilla (upper jaw bone) may develop longer than average, resulting in an elongated mid-face and more prominent gums due to structural proportions. While severe vertical maxillary excess typically requires orthognathic surgery, mild to moderate cases can improve with laser gum contouring, which enhances gumline appearance without altering the bone structure.
Laser treatment can produce visible improvements for many with mild vertical maxillary excess. Our Green Bay dentists provide honest assessments of what laser treatment can achieve, often finding that many patients concerned about “jaw issues” have simpler, more treatable causes.
Cause #5: Small or Worn-Down Teeth
When teeth are smaller than average or worn down from bruxism, the ratio of gum to tooth changes, making the gums appear more prominent. This visual issue is partly due to tooth size, not just gum tissue.
Laser gum reshaping can improve the gumline’s symmetry, but for the best results, patients often combine this with cosmetic treatments like dental veneers or tooth bonding to enhance tooth length and proportion. Dr. Fama and Dr. Whiteside can help create a comprehensive smile makeover plan for the best outcome.
So Why Is Laser Treatment Such a Game-Changer?
If you’ve heard about gum reshaping but assumed it involved cutting, stitches, and a long recovery—think again. At Allouez Family Dental, we use advanced dental laser technology that has completely transformed what this procedure feels like for patients.
Here’s what the laser gum contouring process looks like in our Green Bay office:
- Dr. Fama or Dr. Whiteside begins with a detailed consultation, evaluating your gumline and discussing your smile goals.
- On the day of treatment, a local anesthetic is applied to keep you completely comfortable.
- Using precise laser technology, your dentist gently removes or sculpts the excess gum tissue to create a balanced, natural-looking gumline.
- Most treatments take just 30 to 60 minutes—and many patients notice an immediate improvement when they leave.
Compared to older, scalpel-based gum surgery, laser contouring offers significant advantages:
- Minimal discomfort during and after the procedure
- Significantly less bleeding and swelling
- Faster healing—most patients return to normal activity within 24 to 48 hours
- Lower risk of infection
- Highly precise sculpting for natural, symmetrical results
For causes #1 and #2—excess gum tissue and altered passive eruption—laser contouring alone is often the complete solution. For cases involving tooth size or lip behavior, it’s frequently combined with complementary treatments for the best outcome.
How To Know Which Cause Applies to You
Here’s the honest answer: you don’t need to figure that out on your own. That’s exactly what a consultation with Dr. Fama or Dr. Whiteside is for!
During your consultation at Allouez Family Dental, we’ll take a close look at your gumline, discuss your smile goals, review any relevant dental history, and give you a clear, no-pressure recommendation—including an honest assessment of what laser gum reshaping can achieve for your specific situation.
Most patients leave the consultation feeling relieved. In the majority of cases, the answer is simple: one laser session, one visit, one beautiful result.
Start The New Year with a Smile You’re Proud Of
February might feel like the dead of winter here in Green Bay, but it’s not too late to make good on that New Year’s resolution to take care of yourself. If a more confident, balanced smile has been on your mind, this is your sign to finally do something about it.
Gum reshaping is one of the fastest, most accessible cosmetic dental procedures available. One appointment. One hour. A result that can genuinely change how you feel about smiling in photos, at work, on dates, and everywhere in between.
Call our Green Bay dental clinic today at (920) 339-8980 to schedule your gummy smile consultation. At Allouez Family Dental, Dr. Daniel Fama and Dr. Kyle Whiteside are proud to serve patients throughout the Green Bay area—including Green Bay, Abrams, Denmark, Casco, and Seymour, WI. We’d love to help you discover what your smile is truly capable of.