ISSN 2756-3421
African Journal of Dentistry ISSN 3216-0216 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals
Case Report
A modified technique that decreases the height of the upper lip in the treatment of gummy smile patients: A case series study
Fernando Salimon Ribeiro*, Fernando Cavalcante Castro Garção, Alex Tadeu Martins, Celso Eduardo Sakakura, Benedicto Egbert Corrêa de Toledo and Ana Emília Farias Pontes
Curso de Mestrado em Ciências Odontológicas - UNIFEB. Av. Prof. Roberto Frade Monte, 389. Bairro Aeroporto. Zip Code: 14783-226. Barretos, SP, Brazil.
Accepted 08 June, 2019
Abstract
Delayed passive eruption is conventionally treated with osteotomy and osteoplasty, which is limited to the vicinity of cementoenamel junction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical outcome of three gummy smile patients with delayed passive eruption submitted to an extended osteoplasty in the buccal aspect of anterior maxilla. Digital photograph images of maximal smile were taken in order to assess the results before and 9 months after surgery. All maxillary incisors were evaluated. In comparison with baseline, all patients presented lip dropping (calculated in 7.9 ± 1.7%), increase in crown length (18.2 ± 2.7%), and a decrease in the gingival display (46.6 ± 2.7%). On the other hand, considering specifically the decrease in gingival display, 19.7 ± 3.8% of it was due to the amount of lip dropping, while 26.9 ± 1.2% was due to the increase in crown length. Within the limits of the present study, it could be concluded that after the extended osteoplasty, upper lip has slightly dropped and was less tensioned, which provided a more harmonious smile.
Key words: Gum, smiling, osteoplasty, mucogingival surgery, aesthetics.