Management of excessive gingival display with mucosal coronally positioned flap.

Objective: Current methods of managing excessive gingival display, an aesthetic concern, with gingivectomy, orthodontic intrusion, restorative dentistry and even botulinum toxin, have often been unsatisfactory. This study evaluates the efficacy of mucosal coronally positioned flap (MCPF) for reduction of gingival display.

Material and methods: Eight healthy patients, above 18 years, with either short or hyperactive upper lip, gingival display ≥4 mm during smiling or vertical maxillary excess, were recruited into the study. The smile line, upper lip length, upper lip vermillion length, distance between the lips and amount of gingival display along with clinical indices were assessed. The patients then underwent MCPF procedure and were re-evaluated for healing of the surgical site after 15 days and at 3 months. Patients also provided their perceptions of outcome of treatment, through a questionnaire. Paired t test and Repeated measures ANOVA were used for data analysis.

Results: Significant improvement in the gingival display was noted 3 months after the procedure, while no concomitant changes were observed in other parameters like upper lip length, vermillion length and distance between the lips post operatively.

Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that the MCPF procedure provides satisfactory results in terms of reduction of gingival display. Simplicity of the surgical procedure makes it an attractive option for patients without any gross skeletal abnormalities.