Gummy Smile Correction Turkey: Causes, Treatments, Cost

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Gummy smile correction at Dentafly Antalya: before and after a laser gum contouring procedure that reshaped the upper gum line to restore tooth-to-gum proportion

Written by

Asst. Prof. Dt. Gülen Kamak

Periodontology PhD · Senior Periodontologist

Periodontology specialist at Dentafly with 10+ years of clinical and academic experience. PhD in Periodontology with faculty roles at Kırıkkale and Ada Kent universities; clinical focus on gum aesthetics, advanced bone-loss reconstruction and pre-implant periodontology.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Burak Gökdeniz

Head Dentist · Prosthodontics PhD · CAD/CAM Specialist

Head Dentist at Dentafly and the medical reviewer for every article on this site. PhD in Prosthetic Dentistry from Ankara University, 20+ years in CAD/CAM, Digital Smile Design and complex implant restorations for international patients.

Last reviewed: May 17, 2026 · 15-min read

A gummy smile correction Turkey trip is shorter, less invasive, and more affordable than most UK patients expect. Specifically, the correction procedure for the most common cause takes 30 minutes, costs £450 at Dentafly Antalya, and produces a result you see in the chair before you leave. The longer conversation, the one that decides which procedure you actually need, happens before the treatment chair is ever switched on.

This guide covers the four clinical causes of a gummy smile, the two Dentafly treatment options matched to those causes, transparent pricing in pounds sterling, and the structured London NW9 aftercare that follows your trip home. The medical content is written by our periodontology lead Asst. Prof. Dt. Gülen Kamak and clinically reviewed by senior dental surgeon Dr. Burak Gökdeniz, with references drawn from current StatPearls and peer-reviewed literature on excessive gingival display. For the broader cosmetic context, see our complete smile makeover Turkey pillar guide.

✓ Periodontology PhD Lead ✓ Diode Laser & Surgical Options ✓ UK NW9 8SN Aftercare ✓ AACI Accredited Antalya Facility ✓ 1,791+ Trustpilot Reviews

What Is a Gummy Smile? Clinical Definition

The clinical term for a gummy smile is excessive gingival display. It describes a smile in which more upper gum is revealed than the proportion considered aesthetic. As a result, the smile draws the eye to the gum line rather than to the teeth themselves, even when the teeth are well-shaped and white.

How much gum is too much? The 3mm rule

Current periodontology literature, including the StatPearls reference text on Excessive Gingival Display, defines the boundaries clearly. Specifically:

0-2mm of visible gum at full smile: normal, youthful, aesthetically positive
2-3mm: mild gingival display, usually not treated unless the patient requests it
3-4mm: moderate gummy smile, the most common range presenting at consultation
4mm+: severe gummy smile, often visible even at rest with the lips parted

The 3mm threshold matters because it is the line where the visual attention shifts. Below 3mm, viewers typically register a “lively, expressive smile”; above 3mm, the gums become the dominant visual element of the smile. The correction goal is rarely zero millimetres; it is to return the display to the 1-2mm range that reads as natural and youthful.

How common is gummy smile in adults?

Population-prevalence studies place excessive gingival display at approximately 10-29% of younger adults, with women presenting more commonly than men. Across clinical and population studies, women are roughly two to three times more likely to present with the condition, partly reflecting greater willingness to seek cosmetic treatment rather than a true biological difference in prevalence.

Why bother treating it?

Treatment is not medically required. A gummy smile causes no functional dental problem, and the underlying teeth and gums can be in excellent health. The reason patients seek correction is aesthetic: many people who have grown up with a gummy smile describe holding back full smiles in photographs, social settings, and professional contexts. For most patients, the correction is a quality-of-life intervention rather than a medical necessity.

The 4 Clinical Causes of Gummy Smile

Excessive gingival display causes anatomical illustration excess gum tissue short upper lip hyperactive lip muscles vertical maxillary excess Dentafly periodontology — The four anatomical causes of a gummy smile each produce the same visible result but require entirely different treatments — accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective correction

The four clinical causes below cover the majority of presenting cases. A gummy smile is multifactorial in many patients, meaning two or more causes can present simultaneously. Specifically, the StatPearls reference identifies vertical maxillary excess as one of the most common single causes, but combined etiology (for instance, mild VME paired with hyperactive lip muscles) accounts for a significant share of cases that resist simple single-treatment correction.

Cause 1: Excess gum tissue

The most common cause in the under-35 age group is excess gum tissue, which itself has two sub-mechanisms:

Delayed (altered) passive eruption: a developmental pattern where the gum failed to recede to the cementoenamel junction during normal tooth eruption. The teeth appear short because part of the crown is still covered by gum, not because the teeth are genuinely short.
Gingival hyperplasia: overgrowth of gum tissue caused by genetic predisposition, certain medications (some anti-epileptics, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants), or hormonal influences.

Both sub-types respond well to laser gum contouring or surgical gingivectomy. The result is visible immediately and is permanent for the altered passive eruption type; medication-induced hyperplasia may recur if the causative medication continues.

Cause 2: Short upper lip

Average upper lip length (measured from subnasale to the lower lip border) sits at approximately 20mm in adult women and 21mm in adult men, with a standard deviation of around 2-3mm. Patients with notably shorter upper lips reveal more gum at full smile because the lip simply does not have the vertical dimension to cover the upper teeth and gum margin during the smile dynamic.

A short upper lip does not respond to gum reduction (the lip would still ride high above any corrected gum line). Correction of this cause is outside the scope of Dentafly’s gummy smile service; patients in whom short upper lip is the primary cause are counselled honestly and referred to a maxillofacial or aesthetic specialist for procedures such as lip repositioning surgery.

Cause 3: Hyperactive lip muscles

The upper lip is elevated by three paired muscles: the levator labii superioris (LLS), the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi (LLSAN), and the zygomaticus minor (ZMi). When these muscles contract more forcefully than average during the smile dynamic, the upper lip lifts higher than expected, exposing more gum than the underlying anatomy would otherwise reveal.

Hyperactive lip muscle correction is not a core Dentafly service. Where this is the sole primary cause, we provide an honest assessment and recommend referral to a maxillofacial or aesthetic medicine specialist. Where it is a secondary contributing factor combined with excess gum tissue, laser gum contouring or surgical crown lengthening can still produce a meaningful improvement to the visible gum display.

Cause 4: Vertical maxillary excess (VME)

Vertical maxillary excess is the structural cause: the upper jaw bone (maxilla) sits lower in the face than typical anatomy, exposing more gum even when the lip and gum tissue are themselves normal. Specifically, this is the most challenging cause to address because the underlying skeletal architecture is fixed.

Mild VME (1-3mm beyond normal) can sometimes be camouflaged with gum contouring. Moderate VME may benefit from orthodontic intrusion of the anterior teeth. Severe VME, however, may require orthognathic surgery (Le Fort I osteotomy) to physically reposition the maxilla. As a general rule, at Dentafly we focus on the laser and crown lengthening pathway; severe orthognathic cases are referred or counselled honestly about the alternatives.

Clinical reference The four causes above synthesise current periodontology literature including StatPearls “Excessive Gingival Display” (Brizuela & Ines, 2023, NCBI Bookshelf NBK470437), citing peer-reviewed sources on diagnostic criteria and treatment outcomes.

How We Diagnose Your Specific Cause

At Dentafly Antalya, the Day 1 consultation goes through a structured four-part diagnostic protocol before any treatment is recommended. Specifically, this sequence comes directly from the periodontology consensus literature regarding the assessment of the gummy smile and forms the basis for the correct treatment match. The initial examination is usually performed by dentist Dr. Gökdeniz.

Step 1: Static and dynamic lip analysis

Views are taken at the smile line and with the jaws closed. The possible incisions in this visual situation are explained with sample results provided to the patient. Over 740 patient evaluation videos on Dentafly’s YouTube account are also shown as examples to illustrate the case during consultations.

Step 2: Periodontal examination

The gingival margin is probed on each front tooth to determine where the enamel-cementum junction sits relative to the visible gingival line. The size of teeth experiencing a gummy smile or any potential gum problems are specifically explained.

Step 3: Tooth proportion assessment

The width-to-length ratio of the front teeth is measured. As a general rule, healthy upper central incisors have a width-to-length ratio of 75-80%. Specifically, a ratio above 85% indicates that the teeth appear too short and often points to changes in passive eruption or wear of the tooth structure. As also applied in Snow SR, the preferred width-to-length ratio of the incisor center tooth is 78%, and this is generally preferred in cases where the desired tooth duration is not considered, and aesthetic dental treatments are not taken into account. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26140969/

Step 4: Cephalometric analysis (when indicated)

A lateral cephalometric radiograph is taken for suspected vertical maxillary excess. The image reveals whether the underlying maxillary bone is in a normal position or shows vertical excess according to standard craniofacial measurements. Although X-rays and 3D X-ray images of patients referred to our London clinic for consultation are reviewed, our chief physician, Dr. Burak Gökdeniz, may request additional images if deemed necessary.

By the end of Day 1, your written treatment plan identifies the primary cause, secondary contributing factors if any, and the recommended treatment pathway. The conversation about which procedure to choose happens with the diagnostic evidence already in hand.

Gummy Smile Correction Treatment Options

Gummy smile correction Turkey treatment options comparison laser crown lengthening price duration permanence Dentafly Antalya — The two Dentafly gummy smile correction options compared by duration, cost, and permanence — choice depends on the underlying cause identified during Day 1 diagnosis

Dentafly offers two primary gummy smile correction treatments at the Antalya facility, both producing permanent results. As a result, the treatment match depends entirely on which of the four causes is identified during diagnosis. Below are the two options, each followed by detailed sections later in the guide.

1. Laser Gum Contouring

£450 30 minutes Permanent

Diode laser ablation of excess gum tissue. Minimally invasive, no sutures, immediate result. Best for excess gum tissue cause (delayed passive eruption or gingival hyperplasia) and mild vertical maxillary excess camouflage. Patients eat normally the same evening; full healing in 7-10 days.

2. Crown Lengthening (Surgical)

£900 60 minutes Permanent

Surgical reshaping of both the gum tissue and the underlying bone to expose more tooth and create proportionate aesthetics. Best for moderate-to-severe excess gum tissue, particularly with combined biologic width considerations or when veneer or crown work is planned alongside. Healing takes 7-14 days; full tissue maturation continues for 8-12 weeks.

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Send your smile photographs and we’ll return a written treatment plan with diagnosed cause, recommended procedure, and total cost in pounds sterling within 24 hours.

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Laser Gum Contouring Step by Step

Laser gum contouring procedure step by step anesthesia marking diode laser result excessive gingival display correction Dentafly Antalya periodontology — The four-step laser gum contouring procedure at Dentafly: from topical anaesthesia to visible result in approximately 30 minutes

The laser gum contouring procedure is the most-performed gummy smile correction at our Antalya facility because it produces immediate, permanent results with minimal recovery. As a result, the entire procedure takes 30 minutes from chair entry to mirror review.

Step 1: Topical and local anaesthesia

A topical anaesthetic gel is applied along the gum margin for approximately 3 minutes. Subsequently, minimal local anaesthetic infiltration is administered along the planned correction zone. The total injection volume is small because the diode laser causes minimal nerve stimulation compared to scalpel techniques.

Step 2: Marking the new gum line

Using a fine periodontal probe, the clinician marks the corrected gum line precisely. Specifically, the marking respects three key constraints: biologic width (the protective tissue zone between gum and bone), planned tooth proportions (typically a 75-80% width-to-length ratio for the maxillary central incisors), and natural scalloping (the gentle peaks and valleys that distinguish a natural gum line from a flat, surgical-looking line).

Step 3: Diode laser ablation

The diode laser (810nm or 940nm wavelength) precisely removes the excess gum tissue along the marked line. The laser energy simultaneously cuts and cauterises, which produces minimal bleeding and eliminates the need for sutures compared to conventional scalpel surgery. Notably, this is the procedural advantage over traditional scalpel gingivectomy: the patient leaves with a clean, healed-edge gum line rather than sutured tissue.

Step 4: Immediate result verification

The corrected gum architecture is verified against the planned proportions. Photographic documentation captures the result, and the patient sees the corrected smile in the mirror within 30 minutes of arrival at the clinic. A brief aftercare briefing follows: cool soft diet for 24 hours, antiseptic mouthwash for 5 days, and a follow-up photograph at the 7-day mark.

Why diode laser over scalpel gingivectomy Traditional scalpel-based gingivectomy remains a valid technique with decades of clinical history. However, the diode laser offers three measurable advantages for gummy smile correction specifically: minimal bleeding (improved visibility during the procedure), no sutures required (faster recovery and no suture-removal appointment), and precise margin control (the laser tip can produce sub-millimetre adjustments that scalpel work cannot easily match). For these reasons, the laser is our default unless the case specifically requires bone recontouring, in which case crown lengthening becomes the appropriate option.

Crown Lengthening: The Surgical Option

Crown lengthening is the appropriate choice when the gum tissue needs reshaping beyond what laser contouring can achieve, particularly where the underlying bone position also requires adjustment to expose a sufficient amount of natural tooth structure.

When crown lengthening is indicated

The procedure is recommended specifically when:

The excess gum is paired with insufficient tooth crown height for veneer or crown placement
Bone recontouring is needed alongside gum reshaping (biologic width considerations)
The case involves more than 3-4mm of correction at the gum-bone level
The patient is planning veneer or crown work and requires longer clinical crowns for restoration

The surgical procedure

Crown lengthening is performed under local anaesthesia and takes approximately 60 minutes for the anterior region. The clinician carefully reflects the gum tissue, recontours the underlying bone to the new planned level using fine surgical burs, repositions the gum at the corrected height, and places fine sutures. Healing takes 7-14 days for soft tissue and continues at the bone level for 8-12 weeks before final restorative work can begin.

Combined with veneer or crown work

Crown lengthening is frequently combined with a full smile makeover. Specifically, the sequence is: crown lengthening at month 0, healing through month 3, then veneer or crown placement at month 3. This pathway is covered in the full smile makeover Turkey pillar and is the most common combined-treatment scenario for UK patients with both excessive gingival display and concerns about tooth shape or shade.

Which Treatment for Which Cause? Decision Matrix

The matrix below summarises the cause-to-treatment match. Notably, real cases often involve combined etiology and benefit from combined treatment; the table represents the primary recommendation for single-cause cases.

Primary cause	Severity	Recommended Dentafly pathway
Excess gum tissue (altered passive eruption)	Mild to moderate	Laser gum contouring (£450)
Excess gum tissue with biologic width or restoration needs	Moderate to severe	Surgical crown lengthening (£900)
Excess gum + planned veneers	Combined cosmetic case	Crown lengthening + veneer smile makeover
Vertical maxillary excess	Mild (1-3mm)	Laser camouflage may be adequate
Vertical maxillary excess	Moderate to severe	Honest assessment; orthognathic referral
Short upper lip	Any severity	Referral to maxillofacial / aesthetic specialist
Hyperactive lip muscles (primary cause)	Any severity	Honest assessment; specialist referral
Hyperactive lip muscles (secondary, with excess gum)	Combined	Laser or crown lengthening for the gum component

The honest Dentafly position Severe vertical maxillary excess that genuinely requires orthognathic surgery is not the focus of our gummy smile correction service. As a result, patients with this presentation receive an honest assessment and counselling about the alternatives, including the possibility that minor laser correction may produce a meaningful improvement even without the orthognathic intervention. The same principle applies to short upper lip and primary hyperactive lip muscle cases: we will not recommend a procedure we do not believe will solve the underlying problem. The goal is the right answer for each patient, not the maximum procedure.