Lip Repositioning to Improve the Harmony of the Smile: A Surgical Case Report

Abstract

A beautiful smile boosts a person's confidence. Gummy smile is a term used for excessive gingival display (EGD), its etiology is multifactorial, can be treated by several surgical and non-surgical techniques due to etiology factors. Factors that contribute to the gummy smile include exaggerated lip length and lip hypermobility. Lip repositioning surgery can be used to treat EGD, mild to moderate degree of gingival display (4-8 mm) caused by hypermobile upper lip. The lip repositioning procedure is a surgical treatment option that involves removing a partial thickness strip from the maxillary buccal vestibular mucosa and suturing the lip mucosa back to the mucogingival line. This technique is less invasive than orthognathic surgery, with minor complications and patient satisfaction.