A small amount of botulinum toxin reduces how far the upper lip lifts, so less gum shows when you smile.
A gummy smile shows a band of gum above the upper teeth when you smile fully. It happens because the muscle raising the upper lip, the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, lifts it further than the lip length can cover.
Treatment places a very small amount of botulinum toxin into that muscle on each side. The lip lifts slightly less, and less gum shows. It is one of the smallest treatments offered here and one of the most precise.
At Dr Ellie Sateei’s London clinic this is assessed carefully, because the same muscle contributes to how your whole smile moves. Results vary between individuals.
Very small doses, typically one point per side, are placed into the muscle beside the base of the nose. Dose here is measured in a fraction of what a forehead would take, because the margin between reducing lip elevation and affecting how the lip moves generally is narrow.
Too much, or placement too lateral, can flatten the smile, lengthen the upper lip visibly, or produce asymmetry. Dr Sateei starts at the low end deliberately and reviews at two weeks, adding a small amount then if more is needed.
Not every gummy smile is muscular. Where the cause is the length of the upper lip, the position of the teeth, or excess gum tissue, the answer is dental, orthodontic or surgical rather than injectable. Dr Sateei will tell you which applies and refer on where appropriate.
It may suit you if:
It is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with certain neuromuscular conditions. It is not the right treatment where the cause is dental or skeletal, and Dr Sateei will say so.
Treatment takes under ten minutes with very fine needles and no numbing. There is no expected downtime.
Onset begins around day three to five with the full effect at two weeks, when new patients are reviewed. Because doses here are very small, the two-week review is where most of the refinement happens.
The effect typically lasts three to four months.
“This is a tiny treatment with a narrow margin. A fraction too much and the smile flattens, which is a far worse outcome than the gum showing. So I use very little, I see people at two weeks, and I add if we need to. I also check whether the cause is actually muscular, because if it is your lip length or your teeth then no amount of toxin will help and you deserve to be told that.”
Dr Ellie Sateei has over two decades of experience in dermatology and aesthetics.
£350 at both the London clinic. Your consultation is £195, deducted from treatment on the day.
Not where the dose is small and well placed. The aim is less gum display with your smile otherwise unchanged, which is why very little product is used.
Typically three to four months.
Only if the cause is a lip that lifts a long way. Where short lip length, dental position or excess gum tissue is responsible, the answer is dental, orthodontic or surgical.
No. Treatment takes under ten minutes and you can return to normal activity immediately.
A small additional amount can be added at your two-week review. Starting low and adding is safer than starting high in this area.
Gummy smile treatment is often planned alongside these.
Gummy smile treatment is small, precise and only works where the cause is muscular. If gum display when you smile bothers you, the first step is confirming what is causing it. Dr Ellie Sateei sees patients at her London clinic.
Our London clinic is located at 91a New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6XF
We serve patients from London, Kent and the home counties as well as from all over the world. Our London clinic sits in the heart of Marylebone, within easy reach of the West End by tube, while our Sevenoaks clinic in Ightham is moments from the M25 and M26 for patients across Kent.
