4x gum contouring and 2x natural composite bonding
Smile Makeover · Gummy smile
How do you fix a gummy smile?
A gummy smile — where more gum shows than you’d like when you smile — is very treatable, but the right fix depends on the cause. The main options are gum contouring to reveal more tooth, anti-wrinkle injections to relax a high upper lip, or bonding and veneers to rebuild short or worn teeth. Getting the diagnosis right is everything.
Fixing a gummy smile: at a glance
- What it is
- Too much gum on show when you smile
- Common causes
- Short-looking teeth, a high lip, worn teeth, the jaw
- Most common fix
- Gum contouring
- Gum contouring from
- £95 per tooth
- High-lip (anti-wrinkle) from
- £250 · lasts 3–4 months
- Short or worn teeth
- Bonding £380–£480 · veneers from £950
- What matters most
- Correctly diagnosing the cause
- Consultation
- Free (£25 refundable deposit)
The causes
What is a gummy smile, and what causes it?
A “gummy smile” simply means that when you smile, more of your upper gum is on show than you’d ideally like — often described as more than about three to four millimetres of gum above the teeth, though it’s really a matter of proportion and how it looks to you. It’s very common and harmless in itself. What matters, if you’d like to change it, is why it happens — because the same gummy look can come from several very different causes, and each one is fixed in a different way. These are the main ones.
Short-looking teeth
The teeth are a normal size, but the gum has stayed low over them, covering more tooth than it should — dentists call this altered passive eruption. The teeth look short and a little stubby, and there’s more gum on display, even though nothing is genuinely “too big”.
A high or hyperactive upper lip
The muscles that raise your upper lip pull it higher than average when you smile, lifting it like a curtain to reveal more gum. The teeth and gums may be perfectly proportioned at rest — it’s the lip’s movement that creates the gummy look.
Worn or short teeth
Years of grinding, clenching or general wear can shorten the teeth. As they lose height, the balance between tooth and gum tips towards gum, so more of it shows when you smile even though the gum line itself hasn’t moved.
The way the jaw has grown
Sometimes the upper jaw has developed with a little extra height, bringing the whole gum-and-tooth block lower. This is a skeletal cause, and it’s the one most likely to need orthodontic treatment — or, in more pronounced cases, specialist input — rather than gum work alone.
Often more than one
In many smiles, two of these overlap — a low gum line and a lively lip, say. That’s completely normal, and it’s exactly why a careful look at the cause comes before any treatment is chosen.
Why the cause decides the cure
Here’s the part that matters most, and the part a good consultation is really for. A gummy smile is a single look with several possible causes — and if you treat the wrong one, you either don’t fix it or you overtreat it. Relaxing the lip does nothing for teeth that are genuinely too short. Trimming the gum won’t help if the real issue is a lip that lifts too high. And rebuilding worn teeth is wasted effort if the gum is simply sitting too low.
So before anything is done, Dr. Albert measures the smile properly — how much gum shows, how far your lip travels when you smile, the length and wear of your teeth, and how your jaw and gum line sit together. Often the answer is a single treatment; sometimes it’s a gentle combination, such as reshaping the gum line and then rebuilding a little tooth length. Either way, the plan is bespoke to your smile, never a fixed package.
It’s also worth being realistic. Most gummy smiles are corrected beautifully with gum reshaping, anti-wrinkle injections or restorative work — often in one or two visits. A smaller number, where the underlying cause is skeletal, are better addressed with orthodontics and, occasionally, specialist referral. Being told honestly which group you’re in is far more useful than being sold a quick fix. If you’re not sure where to begin, our dental concerns page is a gentle starting point.
The fixes
How is a gummy smile treated?
Once the cause is clear, the treatment usually follows naturally from it. Here are the main options and what each is best suited to — from the gentlest, fully reversible route to more lasting reshaping and restoration.
Gum contouring / laser reshaping
For a low gum line or short-looking teeth, the gum is gently re-contoured with a ceramic shaper, similar to a laser, to reveal more of the natural tooth and even the line. Usually a single, stitch-free visit under local anaesthetic. Gum shaping from £95 per tooth.
Anti-wrinkle injections for a high lip
Where a hyperactive upper lip is the cause, a small, precise dose of anti-wrinkle injection (often called Botox) relaxes the muscle so the lip doesn’t lift quite so high — revealing less gum. The gentlest, fully reversible option; temporary, lasting three to four months. From £250.
Crown lengthening
For bigger changes, where more gum and sometimes a little bone need reshaping, crown lengthening is a gentle gum surgery under local anaesthetic. It creates more dramatic, lasting proportion than surface contouring alone. Part of gum shaping, from £350 per tooth.
Bonding or veneers for short teeth
When teeth are genuinely short or worn, adding length restores the balance. Composite bonding (£380–£480 per tooth) rebuilds them in a single visit; porcelain veneers (from £950) suit a fuller redesign. Often paired with a little gum reshaping.
Orthodontics for skeletal cases
Where the cause is how the jaw has grown, Invisalign (from £2,950) can help by moving and intruding teeth in mild to moderate cases. More pronounced skeletal cases may need combined orthodontic and, in rare cases, surgical specialist care — which we’ll explain honestly if it applies to you.
| Underlying cause | What’s happening | Best-matched treatment | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-looking teeth (altered passive eruption) | Gum sits low, covering the tooth | Gum contouring / laser reshaping | £95 / tooth |
| High or hyperactive upper lip | Lip lifts too far when smiling | Anti-wrinkle injections (temporary, 3–4 months) | £250 |
| Worn or genuinely short teeth | Teeth have lost height | Composite bonding or veneers | £380–£480 / tooth |
| Excess gum (and sometimes bone) | Needs more than surface reshaping | Crown lengthening (gentle surgery) | £350 / tooth |
| Skeletal / how the jaw grew | Whole gum-and-tooth block sits low | Orthodontics (± specialist referral) | £2,950 |
Prices shown are “from” figures; every smile is planned individually, so your exact plan and quote are confirmed at your consultation, and our fees page lists them in full. Not sure which route fits your smile? Start with what’s bothering you →
Keeping the result
How long does gummy smile treatment last?
How long your result lasts depends on which treatment you have — and being clear about this upfront saves any surprises. Anti-wrinkle injections are deliberately temporary: they relax the lip for around three to four months, after which the muscle gradually returns and the treatment is simply repeated if you want to keep the effect. Many people like this, because it’s reversible and lets you try the look first before committing to anything more lasting.
Gum contouring and crown lengthening, by contrast, are lasting. When the new gum line is designed and healed correctly, it’s stable and doesn’t usually grow back, so the improved proportion stays. Composite bonding or veneers used to rebuild short teeth last for years with good care — bonding typically around five to eight years before a refresh — and can be repaired or renewed over time.
For many patients the most natural result comes from combining approaches — reshaping the gum line, then adding a little length to the teeth, all designed together as one bespoke plan rather than separate treatments. If you’d like to see how gum reshaping changes a smile, the gum shaping page shows real cases, our smile makeover cost guide sets out how a fuller redesign is priced, and the facial aesthetics page explains the smile-led use of anti-wrinkle injections.
Real results
Gum lines reshaped by Dr. Albert
Invisalign, 4x gum contouring and 6x Hollywood composite bonding — flared teeth and excess gum
Gum contouring surgery, 8 porcelain veneers and 2 implants
Gummy smile questions
Gummy smiles: your questions answered
What causes a gummy smile?
A gummy smile — more gum than you would like on show when you smile — usually comes from one of four things: teeth that look short because the gum sits low over them, an upper lip that lifts too high, teeth worn down over time, or the way the upper jaw has grown. Often two of these overlap, which is why an accurate diagnosis matters.
Does gum contouring hurt?
No. Gum contouring is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you do not feel the reshaping itself. Afterwards, most people have only mild tenderness for two to four days, easily managed with ordinary pain relief. With the gentle ceramic shaper there are usually no stitches, and the gum settles into its new line within one to two weeks.
Is anti-wrinkle treatment (Botox) for a gummy smile permanent?
No — and that is by design. Anti-wrinkle injections that relax a high upper lip are temporary, lasting around three to four months before the muscle gradually returns to normal. To keep the effect you simply repeat the treatment, so it is fully reversible and a gentle way to try the look before considering anything more lasting like gum reshaping.
How much does it cost to fix a gummy smile?
At our Windsor practice, gum contouring starts from £95 per tooth with the gentle ceramic shaper, and from £350 per tooth for crown lengthening. Anti-wrinkle injections for a high lip are from £250 and last three to four months. If short teeth need rebuilding, composite bonding is £380–£480 per tooth. Your exact plan is confirmed at consultation.
Will the gum grow back after contouring?
When gum contouring is planned and carried out correctly, the reshaped gum line is stable and does not usually grow back, so the result lasts. Dr. Albert maps the new line carefully so it respects the bone underneath, which is what keeps it settled. The tooth itself is untouched — only the gum framing it is refined.
Can a gummy smile be fixed without surgery?
Often, yes. If a high upper lip is the cause, anti-wrinkle injections relax it with no surgery at all. Minor gum reshaping with the gentle ceramic shaper is quick and stitch-free. Surgery — crown lengthening — is reserved for bigger changes, where more gum and sometimes a little bone need adjusting. The right route depends entirely on the cause.
How do I know which gummy smile treatment I need?
You do not have to work it out yourself — that is what the consultation is for. Dr. Albert looks at how much gum shows, how high your lip lifts, the length and wear of your teeth, and how your jaw sits. The cause decides the treatment, so an honest assessment first is what makes the result look natural.
Reviewed by Dr. Albert Gajdos, GDC No. 265157 Last updated August 2026
The right fix starts with the right diagnosis
See the best way to fix your gummy smile.
Book a free 30-minute consultation with Dr. Albert — he’ll measure how much gum shows, find the cause, show you a preview of the result and recommend the most natural route, whether that’s gum reshaping, relaxing the lip, rebuilding a little tooth, or aligning first. £25 refundable deposit.