Dentures: Facts, Figures and Friendly Advice for Seniors

A Toothy Smile: How a Dentist can Help Your Upper Teeth Show More When You Smile

22 September 2017

Herman Kim

One of the most well-known smiles in Hollywood history belongs to Julia Roberts. When she smiles, her top row of teeth can be seen in all its pearly white glory. However, not everyone is able to smile quite as effortlessly as Julia Roberts does. For some people, due to a myriad of reasons such as tooth length, facial muscle position, upper lip size and jaw position, showing their upper teeth when smiling is something that needs to be forced.

Fortunately, there are various ways that this problem can be addressed. This article will cover those smile design techniques that require little to no surgery. There are three types of dental procedure that can open up your smile: periodontal, cosmetic, and orthodontic.

A Periodontist Can Raise Your Upper Lip

In some cases, a periodontist can perform what is called a lip lift. This minimally invasive procedure involves making a small incision just under the nose, removing a small amount of tissue, then raising the lip to its new position. This procedure achieves two aims. It adds fullness to the upper lip and allows patients to display their upper teeth when smiling.

The outcome is that patients look and feel younger and more vibrant as a result.

An Orthodontist Can Utilise Braces

If surgery isn't to your liking, you could see an orthodontist instead. A skilled orthodontist can use upper braces to extrude teeth, in other words, pull them further down. This will add more length, making it easier to see your upper teeth when you smile.

However, ensure that you locate a reputable and experienced orthodontist for this measure as this technique requires the touch of a skilled dentist.

A Cosmetic Dentist Can Use Veneers or Crowns

Perhaps the quickest fix is cosmetic dentistry. If your issue is that your teeth are small in their overall proportions, then veneers can add more length and width to them, giving you a fuller smile. For teeth that are in good condition, veneers are the best option as these thin porcelain shells are placed over the frontal surface of a tooth. A small amount of enamel, from 0.2mm to 0.5mm, will need to be removed so that the teeth do not appear too bulky.

Crowns are an option if your teeth are also slightly damaged from decay or trauma. However, teeth do need to be shortened and sculpted in order for the crowns to be fitted comfortably. Either way, this is possibly the fastest and least invasive technique for helping patients to show their upper teeth when smiling.

If your smile isn't as bright and welcoming as you would like or you would simply like to stop forcing your smile every time you want to 'say cheese', these procedures can help you. Talk to a dentist and arrange for an examination to decide which is the best option for you. 

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