An evidence-based treatment planning guide for a gummy smile

Abstract

A gummy smile (GS) is usually manifested due to concurrent multiple causes. Effective management requires a quantified treatment approach that targets the responsible etiologies based on their corresponding contributions to a GS. This paper provides an evidence-based treatment planning guide for GS to achieve predictable outcomes and avoid unrealistic patient expectations. Collected means of GS correction and relapse rates using targeted modalities were tabulated and diagrammatically presented for ease of reference. Three clinical cases were included to demonstrate the application of the guide during treatment planning and patient consultation.