Is this the secret to a Hollywood smile? Upper lip Botox injections fix grins that are 'too' gummy
People who are embarrassed by their large, visible gums are now turning to Botox for the 'ideal' Hollywood smile.
An increasing number of dentists are injecting Botox into patients' upper lip muscles, to decrease the amount of gum shown and prevent the so-called 'gummy smile'.
In the past, surgery was the main treatment option, but at $15,000, it is often too costly and painful. Botox on the other hand, costs roughly $300, takes ten minutes to administer and last for up six months.
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Before: An increasing number of dentists are injecting Botox into patients' upper lip muscles, to decrease to prevent the so-called 'gummy smile' (pictures courtesy of Aesthetic Surgery Journal)
After: In the past, surgery was the main treatment option, but at $15,000, it is often too costly and painful. Botox on the other hand, costs roughly $300, takes ten minutes to administer and last for up six months
'For people that smile aggressively, Botox can decrease amount of gum shown. Also, for those whose full lips disappear and get thinned out when they smile, Botox can correct that,' explained Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Naderi.
According to dentists and cosmetic surgeons, the 'ideal smile' sees the upper lip drape over the top of the teeth, with only two millimeters of gum showing.
'Anything over three to four millimeters of gum showing starts to look "gummy,"' Dr. Stan Heifetz, a cosmetic dentist in New York and White Plains, told The New York Times.
Before: 'Anything over three to four millimeters of gum showing starts to look "gummy,"' said Dr. Stan Heifetz, a cosmetic dentist in New York and White Plains
After: According to dentists and cosmetic surgeons, the 'ideal smile' sees the upper lip drape over the top of the teeth, with only two millimeters of gum showing
Previously, a gingivectomy, an operation to remove some of the extra gum tissue, saw doctors sever the muscles that elevate the upper lip so it can no longer rise as high.
In extreme cases, patients would undergo orthognathic surgery, which can take up to two years to complete and repositions the upper jaw if it sticks out too much.
But Botox works by paralyzing the hyperactive muscles in the upper lip, reducing its elevation and ultimately reducing the inhibiting 'gummy smile'.
Before: The Botox works by paralyzing the hyperactive muscles in the upper lip, reducing its elevation and ultimately reducing the inhibiting 'gummy smile'
After: 'While for most people smiling is an expression of happiness, individuals whose gums stand out more than their smile does often feel self-conscious,' explains Dermacare Medical in New York
'While for most people smiling is an expression of happiness, individuals whose gums stand out more than their smile does often feel self-conscious,' explains Dermacare Medical in New York, which offers the Botox procedure.
'Very often those with gummy smiles try to control and minimize their smile and some feel so self-conscious that they prefer not to smile at all. This may have a detrimental effect on one's professional, social, and personal relationships.'
Indeed, Stephanie McCarrell, a 36-year-old nurse anesthetist in Tampa, Florida, told The New York Times that she was bullied as a child for her gummy smile, and has received Botox three times to correct it.
Dazzling whites: Julia Roberts (pictured at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards) and Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala) both flash their gum-less smiles
Big smiles: Christy Turlington (pictured at the 36th Annual Women's Way Powerful Voice Awards) and Natalie Portman (pictured at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards) are well-known for their toothy grins
'When I was a girl, the other kids made fun of me,' she told the paper. 'It really bothered me. I would smile without my teeth, just a closemouthed smile.'
While it is unclear how many people have undergone this upper lip Botox procedure, according to the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, 569,160 gingivectomies were performed between 2005 and 2006, the most recent years available.
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