A gummy smile can be reduced without surgery through several effective approaches, with the right option depending on what’s causing the excess gum display in the first place. The most common non-surgical treatments include neurotoxin injections, laser gum contouring, and orthodontic techniques using mini-screws. Each works differently, targets a different underlying cause, and comes with its own timeline and trade-offs.
What Causes a Gummy Smile
Before picking a fix, it helps to understand why your smile shows more gum than you’d like. A gummy smile is generally defined as showing more than 2 mm of gum tissue above the upper teeth when you smile fully. Severity ranges from mild (2 to 4 mm of extra gum showing) to moderate (4 to 8 mm) to severe (over 8 mm). The cause matters because it determines which non-surgical option will actually work for you.
The main culprits include a hyperactive upper lip that pulls too far upward when you smile, excess gum tissue that covers too much of your teeth, teeth that haven’t fully emerged from the gumline (called altered passive eruption), a naturally short upper lip, or a jaw that grew too tall vertically. Some people have a combination of these. Non-surgical treatments work best for the first three causes. If your gummy smile comes from significant vertical jaw overgrowth, you may still be able to avoid traditional surgery, but the options narrow to orthodontic approaches with mini-screws.
Neurotoxin Injections for a Hyperactive Lip
If your upper lip rises too high when you smile, small injections of botulinum toxin (commonly known by brand names like Botox) can relax the muscles responsible for that lift. This is the fastest, least invasive option available. Three muscles on each side of the nose control how far your upper lip pulls upward: the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, the levator labii superioris, and the zygomaticus minor. In practice, your provider targets a spot near the side of the nostril where these muscles converge, sometimes called the “Yonsei point.”
The dose is small. For a mild gummy smile (less than 5 mm of gum exposure), 2 to 3 units per side is typically enough. If needed, the dose can go up to 5 units or more, though higher doses increase the chance of side effects. Results appear within a few days to two weeks and last up to four months, meaning you’ll need repeat treatments two to three times a year to maintain the effect.
The biggest downside is that results are temporary, and there’s a small risk of the product spreading to nearby muscles. If that happens, you might notice an uneven smile or a slightly stiff feeling in your upper lip. These effects are also temporary, resolving as the product wears off. Choosing an experienced injector who understands the specific anatomy involved significantly reduces this risk.
Laser Gum Contouring for Excess Tissue
If your teeth look short or square because too much gum tissue covers them, the issue isn’t your lip or your jaw. It’s the gum itself. Laser gum contouring (a type of gingivectomy) reshapes the gumline by removing excess tissue with a handheld laser. The laser cauterizes as it works, which means less bleeding and faster healing than older scalpel techniques.
The procedure is done in a dental or periodontist’s office, usually with local anesthesia. Healing takes about one week for most people, and the results are permanent because the removed tissue doesn’t grow back. This makes it a one-and-done solution for people whose gummy smile is caused by gum overgrowth or teeth that haven’t fully emerged from beneath the tissue. Your provider may also need to reshape a small amount of bone beneath the gum to achieve the right proportions, which is still a minor in-office procedure rather than traditional surgery.
Laser contouring won’t help if your gum tissue is already at a normal level and the problem lies with your lip movement or jaw structure. That’s why getting the right diagnosis first saves you time and money.
Orthodontic Mini-Screws for Tooth Position
For gummy smiles caused by teeth that sit too low in the jaw, or by moderate vertical jaw excess, orthodontic treatment with temporary anchorage devices (TADs) offers a non-surgical alternative. TADs are tiny titanium screws, roughly 1.6 mm wide, placed into the bone between tooth roots. They act as fixed anchor points that allow your orthodontist to push teeth upward into the jawbone, a movement called intrusion.
By intruding the upper front teeth, the gumline moves up with them, reducing how much gum shows when you smile. This approach has replaced the need for jaw surgery in many cases, particularly for people who have both a protruding profile and a gummy smile. The screws are placed under local anesthesia and removed easily once treatment is complete. Overall orthodontic treatment timelines vary, but you’re typically looking at months of active treatment rather than weeks.
TADs are most useful when the gummy smile is tied to how the teeth and bone are positioned vertically. They’re not a quick cosmetic fix like injections or laser contouring. They’re a structural correction that produces lasting results by physically repositioning where your teeth sit.
Choosing the Right Option
The best non-surgical approach depends entirely on the root cause. Here’s a practical way to think about it:
- Your teeth look normal in size but your lip pulls up too high: Neurotoxin injections are the simplest starting point. They’re reversible, low-commitment, and let you preview what a less gummy smile looks like before considering anything permanent.
- Your teeth look short or covered by puffy gum tissue: Laser gum contouring directly addresses the problem with permanent results and about a week of recovery.
- Your upper teeth seem to hang too low or your face looks vertically long: Orthodontic treatment with mini-screws can reposition the teeth and gumline without jaw surgery, though it requires a longer treatment commitment.
- You have more than one contributing factor: Combination treatment is common. Someone might benefit from both gum contouring and injections, or from orthodontics followed by minor gum reshaping.
What to Expect From Results
Neurotoxin injections produce visible improvement within one to two weeks. The smile change is subtle. Your lip simply doesn’t rise as high, so less gum shows. Because the effect fades over about four months, your first appointment is essentially a trial run. If you don’t like the result or it feels strange, it will wear off on its own.
Laser gum contouring shows its final results once healing is complete, typically within a week. Your teeth will look longer and more proportional, and the new gumline stays where it is. Some mild soreness and sensitivity are normal during healing, but most people manage comfortably with over-the-counter pain relief.
Orthodontic intrusion with mini-screws is a gradual process. You’ll see the gumline shift over months as the teeth move into their new position. The payoff is a permanent structural change that doesn’t require maintenance appointments or repeat procedures. For people whose gummy smile is moderate to severe and rooted in tooth or bone position, this often delivers the most dramatic and lasting improvement.