Before Gummy Smile Treatment: Questions About Cause, Technique and Long-Term Stability

She noticed it first in a wedding photograph: every tooth bright and even, and above them a wide band of pink she had never thought about until a stranger’s camera froze it. Within a week she had a folder of screenshots, a list of procedures she could not pronounce, and no idea which of them applied to her.

That folder is where most gummy smile treatment questions begin. The internet offers injections, laser gum reshaping, a lip operation and jaw surgery as if they were flavors on the same menu. They are not. Each one fixes a different anatomical reason for the gum showing, which is why the first conversation with a dentist or surgeon is less about choosing a treatment and more about finding the cause.

This explainer walks through what each option actually does, who tends to be a candidate, what the following weeks look like, and how long results typically hold. Every decision stays with your treating team; the goal here is to make that conversation sharper.

What counts as a gummy smile, and when is it just a smile?

Clinicians use the term excessive gingival display: the amount of gum tissue visible above the upper teeth during a full smile. Showing a little gum is normal and, in many faces, part of what makes a smile look youthful. The Cleveland Clinic describes a gummy smile as one that reveals more than about 3 to 4 millimeters of gum, roughly the thickness of two stacked coins, though the number is a guide rather than a diagnosis.

Measurement matters because the eye is unreliable. A person with short upper teeth can appear gummy while showing an average amount of gum, and a person with a very mobile lip can show a great deal during laughter and almost none in a polite smile. For this reason, an assessment usually involves photographs in several expressions, a measurement of how far the lip travels between rest and full smile, and a look at the proportions of the front teeth.

Two features are checked early. The first is tooth length: an average upper central incisor crown is around 10 to 11 millimeters tall, and if the visible portion is noticeably shorter, gum may be covering tooth that is structurally present. The second is the position of the upper lip at rest, because a lip that sits high before anyone smiles points to a skeletal or lip-length explanation rather than a gum one.

It also helps to separate aesthetics from health. A gummy smile is a cosmetic concern, not a disease, and most people with one have healthy gums. The exception is gum enlargement from inflammation or from certain medicines, which is a medical issue first and a cosmetic one second. If the gums are red, swollen or bleed easily, that is the conversation to have before any cosmetic planning starts.

Gummy smile causes: why the cause decides the treatment

There are four broad gummy smile causes, and they can overlap in the same person.

The first is a hypermobile upper lip, meaning a lip whose elevator muscles pull it unusually high. Most upper lips rise about 6 to 8 millimeters from rest to full smile; a lip that travels well beyond that exposes gum that would otherwise be hidden. The second is a short upper lip, where the distance from the base of the nose to the lip edge is shorter than average, so even normal movement leaves gum on show.

The third cause sits in the gum itself. Altered passive eruption is a plain term for gums that never receded to their adult position as the teeth came in, leaving a collar of tissue over the top of crowns that are full length underneath. Gum overgrowth from inflammation, mouth breathing or medicines produces a similar look through a different route.

The fourth is skeletal. Vertical maxillary excess means the upper jaw has grown taller than average, carrying the teeth and gums downward relative to the lip. This is often accompanied by lips that struggle to close at rest and by a long lower face.

Each cause has a logical correction. A lip that moves too much responds to limiting that movement, either temporarily with botulinum toxin or more durably with lip repositioning. Gum that covers tooth responds to gum contouring. A tall jaw responds to orthodontics, jaw surgery or a combination. Treating a skeletal cause with gum surgery, or a gum cause with injections, tends to disappoint because it addresses tissue that was never the problem. Asking your clinician which of these four categories you fall into, and how they measured it, is the single most valuable question on the list.

How gummy smile treatment actually works, option by option

Every gummy smile treatment works in one of three ways: it lowers the lip, it raises the gum line, or it moves the teeth and jaw. The table below summarizes the main approaches so the later sections can be read in context.

Approach	What it changes	Cause it suits	Typical durability
Botulinum toxin injection	Weakens lip elevator muscles	Hypermobile upper lip	About 3–4 months per treatment (Mayo Clinic)
Gum contouring / crown lengthening	Removes excess gum, sometimes reshapes bone	Altered passive eruption, gum overgrowth	Generally lasting when bone is addressed
Lip repositioning surgery	Shortens the inner lip lining to limit lift	Hypermobile or mildly short lip	Intended to be long term; some relapse reported
Orthodontics	Moves teeth, can intrude front teeth	Over-erupted front teeth, mild skeletal excess	Lasting with retention
Orthognathic (jaw) surgery	Repositions the upper jaw	Vertical maxillary excess	Permanent skeletal change

The order of the table roughly follows invasiveness. Injections take minutes and involve no incision. Gum contouring is a minor dental surgery done under local anesthetic, sometimes with a laser or scalpel, and occasionally with reshaping of the underlying bone so the gum has somewhere to settle. Lip repositioning is a short soft-tissue operation inside the mouth. Orthodontics stretches over many months. Jaw surgery is a hospital procedure under general anesthetic with a recovery measured in weeks.

Combination plans are common. Someone with a mobile lip and slightly short teeth might have contouring to lengthen the crowns and injections to soften the lift, then decide later whether lip surgery is worth it. The sequencing usually goes from the most reversible to the least, which is a reasonable principle to raise if your proposed plan starts with the most permanent step.

Botulinum toxin for a gummy smile: mechanism and timeline

Botulinum toxin is a purified protein that blocks the chemical signal, acetylcholine, that nerves use to tell a muscle to contract. The Mayo Clinic explains that this temporarily weakens the injected muscle without affecting sensation. For a gummy smile, small amounts are placed near the muscles that lift the upper lip, most often around the sides of the nose, so the lip rises less during a smile and covers more gum.

Timelines are reasonably well documented. Results usually begin to appear within a few days and settle over the first one to two weeks, and the effect fades over roughly three to four months as nerve endings recover, according to the Mayo Clinic. The NHS describes a similar window. After that the muscle works exactly as before, which is both the appeal and the limitation: nothing is permanently altered, but nothing is permanently corrected either.

Because the technique relies on the lip, it only helps when the lip is part of the cause. If gum covers the teeth or the jaw is tall, weakening the lip may produce a smile that looks oddly restrained without reducing the gum display enough to notice. A careful clinician will measure how far your lip travels before offering this option.

Common side effects listed by the Mayo Clinic include pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site, headache and flu-like symptoms. Less common are an asymmetrical smile, difficulty with the lip during speech or drinking, or drooling if the treated muscles weaken more than intended. These are temporary but can last as long as the effect itself. Rarely, the toxin can spread beyond the treated area; symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing need urgent medical attention. In the UK the NHS requires that the injection be prescribed after a face-to-face consultation with a qualified prescriber, and it is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Any decision about this medicine sits with the prescriber.

Gum contouring for a gummy smile: crown lengthening explained

Gum contouring, also called gingivectomy or esthetic crown lengthening, removes the excess gum collar so more of the natural tooth crown is visible. A gingivectomy trims gum tissue alone; crown lengthening may also reshape the thin rim of bone beneath it so the gum heals at a lower, stable level. The distinction matters for durability, which is covered later.

The procedure is usually done in a dental chair under local anesthetic. The clinician maps the planned new gum line, often using the width-to-length proportions of the front teeth as a guide, then removes tissue with a scalpel, electrosurgery or a soft-tissue laser. Lasers can reduce bleeding during the procedure; evidence that they heal faster or hurt less than conventional techniques is mixed, so a claim that laser is simply better should be treated as a preference rather than a proven advantage.

A critical pre-check is the health of the gums and the depth of the pockets around the teeth. The NIH’s dental research institute stresses that gum disease must be diagnosed and controlled before elective work on the gums, because cutting into inflamed tissue heals unpredictably and can worsen attachment loss. Expect a periodontal examination and, often, a professional cleaning first.

Gum contouring suits people whose teeth are full length under the gum. It does not suit someone whose teeth are genuinely short, because removing gum would expose root surface, which is darker, more sensitive and prone to decay. X-rays and probing under anesthetic tell the clinician how much tooth is really there. Where teeth are both short and worn, a combination of contouring and restorations such as bonding or veneers may be proposed; this adds complexity and long-term maintenance, so ask what happens to those restorations over the decades.

Lip repositioning surgery: what the procedure involves

Lip repositioning surgery is a short operation inside the mouth that limits how far the upper lip can rise. The surgeon removes a strip of the mucosa, the moist lining between the inner lip and the gum, and stitches the lip’s inner edge to a lower position close to the tooth-gum junction. A shallower vestibule, the pocket between lip and gum, means the lip elevator muscles have less slack to pull against, so the lip stops lower in a smile.

Because the incision sits entirely inside the mouth, there is no visible scar. Local anesthetic is standard, with the option of sedation. The procedure typically takes less than an hour. A variation severs or detaches the muscle fibers themselves (myotomy) to make the effect more durable, at the cost of a slightly longer recovery and a higher chance of a tight or numb feeling that can take months to fade.

Candidates are usually people with a hypermobile lip of normal or near-normal length, especially those who have liked the look of botulinum toxin but want to stop repeating it. It is generally not helpful for a tall upper jaw and does not change gum coverage of the teeth.

Two limitations deserve honest discussion. First, relapse has been reported, meaning the lip gradually regains some lift as the tissues stretch; published series vary widely in how much and how often, and there is no single large trial to quote. Second, the lip can look fuller or sit differently at rest in the early months, and a minority of people describe tightness when laughing. The anatomy that determines whether it works, specifically a sufficiently deep vestibule and healthy attached gum, should be assessed and explained before anyone books a date.

When orthodontics or jaw surgery is the real answer

Some gummy smiles are skeletal, and no amount of lip or gum work changes the position of the jaw. Vertical maxillary excess, the tall upper jaw described earlier, usually declares itself through clues beyond the smile: a long lower face, lips that part at rest, a chin that strains to close the mouth, and gum display that persists even when the person is not smiling.

Orthodontics can help in milder cases. Braces or aligners, sometimes anchored to small temporary screws placed in the bone, can intrude the front teeth, meaning move them upward into the jaw, carrying the gum line with them. The NHS notes that a full course of orthodontic treatment commonly lasts around 18 months to two years, and retention afterwards is lifelong in the sense that teeth drift if retainers are abandoned.

For more pronounced excess, orthognathic surgery (corrective jaw surgery) repositions the upper jaw. In a Le Fort I osteotomy, the surgeon separates the upper jaw above the roots of the teeth, removes a measured segment of bone and fixes the jaw in its new, higher position with small plates. This is a hospital procedure under general anesthetic, usually bracketed by orthodontics before and after, with a total treatment journey of two to three years. It changes facial proportions as well as gum display, which for some people is the whole point and for others is a reason to step back.

Risks of jaw surgery include numbness of the lip and cheek that is usually temporary but can be permanent in a minority, infection, bleeding, relapse of jaw position, and changes to the nose shape. These should be covered in detail by the surgical team. Where a skeletal cause is clear, pursuing gum or lip procedures instead tends to produce modest, unsatisfying change; knowing that early saves effort.

Who gummy smile treatment is usually for, and who is usually asked to wait

The clearest candidates share three features: a cause that has been identified and measured, healthy gums and teeth, and realistic expectations about what the chosen technique can and cannot change. People with a documented hypermobile lip, with altered passive eruption confirmed by probing and X-ray, or with a skeletal pattern judged suitable for orthodontic or surgical correction fall into this group.

Several situations usually prompt a pause. Active gum disease is the most common; inflamed tissue needs treatment and a period of stability first. Untreated decay or failing fillings on the front teeth are addressed before cosmetic reshaping, since the gum line is planned around the final tooth shape.

Age is a real consideration. Gum levels keep settling into the early twenties as passive eruption completes, so a teenager who appears gummy may simply need time. Jaw growth also continues through adolescence, and surgical jaw repositioning is generally deferred until growth is complete. For young patients, the pathway is usually monitoring with an orthodontist rather than intervention.

Botulinum toxin is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, according to the NHS, and prescribers typically ask about neuromuscular conditions and medicines that affect muscle function before offering it. Anyone taking anticoagulants, antiplatelet medicines or regular anti-inflammatory painkillers should tell the clinician, because these increase bruising and bleeding risk; whether anything changes is a decision for the prescribing doctor, never something to adjust alone.

Smoking slows gum and mucosal healing and raises the chance of wound breakdown after gum or lip surgery; many clinicians ask people to stop or reduce beforehand and will discuss support for doing so. Finally, if the concern is distressing out of proportion to what others see, a good clinician may suggest a conversation about expectations before any procedure. That is not a brush-off; it protects you from treatment that cannot deliver what you are hoping for.

What the following days and weeks usually look like

Recovery depends entirely on which option you had, and the ranges below are typical rather than guaranteed.

After botulinum toxin, most people return to normal activity the same day. Small bumps at the injection sites settle within hours; bruising, when it occurs, fades over several days. Clinicians commonly advise avoiding rubbing the area, strenuous exercise and lying flat for the first few hours. The change in lip movement appears gradually over one to two weeks, and a review appointment at that point allows minor adjustment if one side moves more than the other.

After gum contouring, expect soreness and mild swelling for a few days, managed with whatever your clinician recommends. Soft, lukewarm food is easier for the first days, and gentle but thorough brushing around the area matters more than ever because plaque delays healing. The surface typically closes within one to two weeks, while the gum margin keeps maturing and may shift slightly for several months; final judgments about shape are usually postponed until then. Short-term sensitivity to cold is common and normally settles as the tissue stabilizes.

After lip repositioning, swelling of the upper lip peaks around the second or third day and tightness is normal. Stitches dissolve or are removed within one to two weeks. Many surgeons ask people to limit wide smiling and laughter for the first couple of weeks so the repositioned lining is not stretched while it heals. Sensation changes in the lip, if present, usually fade over weeks to months.

After orthognathic surgery, the first two weeks involve significant swelling, a liquid or soft diet and restricted activity, with a gradual return to normal eating over six to eight weeks as the bone knits. Orthodontic refinement continues for months afterwards. Your surgical team will give a written schedule specific to you, and that schedule overrides any general figure here.

Is gummy smile treatment permanent? What long-term stability really means

People ask whether gummy smile treatment is permanent as if the answer were yes or no. It is neither; it depends on which tissue was changed and how.

Botulinum toxin is, by design, temporary. The Mayo Clinic puts the effect at about three to four months, after which the muscle recovers fully. Some people find the interval lengthens modestly with repeated treatment, which may reflect a habit of smiling with less effort, but there is no reliable evidence of a permanent effect from injections alone.

Gum contouring is stable when bone is respected. If only soft tissue is trimmed and the underlying bone sits too close to the new margin, the gum tends to grow back toward its original height, a phenomenon well recognized in periodontal practice. Reshaping the bone to leave adequate room for the healthy attachment between gum and tooth gives the margin a reason to stay where it was placed. Ask your clinician whether bone will be adjusted and why or why not.

Lip repositioning sits in the middle. Case series report that most of the reduction in gum display persists, but partial relapse over the first year is also described, and the evidence base consists of small studies rather than large trials. Variations that address the muscle are intended to improve stability; whether they do so meaningfully is still being studied.

Orthodontic intrusion holds as long as retention continues, which in practice means wearing retainers indefinitely, at least at night. Jaw surgery produces a permanent skeletal change, with a small risk of partial relapse that the surgeon manages through fixation and orthodontic retention.

Across all options, stability also depends on you: gum health, plaque control, not smoking, and attending reviews. A lasting result is something you and the clinician maintain together rather than something delivered once.

Risks and side effects in plain language

Every treatment carries risk, and the honest way to compare them is by what can go wrong rather than how often, since the frequencies are poorly measured for most gummy smile procedures.

With botulinum toxin, the Mayo Clinic lists pain, swelling and bruising at the site, headache and flu-like symptoms as common; a crooked smile, drooling, or difficulty pronouncing certain sounds when the lip is weakened unevenly as less common; and, rarely, spread of the toxin beyond the treated area producing weakness elsewhere. Because the lip is involved in sipping, kissing and speech, even a mild asymmetry is noticeable to the person, if not to others, and lasts until the effect wears off.

Gum contouring can lead to bleeding, infection, pain and temporary sensitivity. Removing too much tissue exposes root surface, which cannot be undone and may need grafting. Removing too little, or ignoring the bone, invites regrowth. An uneven gum line between the two central incisors is especially visible, so symmetry is a legitimate thing to ask about before and after.

Lip repositioning carries risks of swelling, bruising, a transient feeling of tightness, numbness along the upper lip, breakdown of the suture line, and a small mucocele (a harmless saliva-filled bump) where a minor salivary gland was disturbed. The lip may look fuller than expected while swelling settles.

Jaw surgery has the most serious profile: bleeding, infection, long-lasting numbness, airway swelling in the early period, and relapse. It also permanently changes the face, which should be discussed with planning images rather than imagined.

With any option there is the risk of simply not liking the result. Reversible first, measurement before incision, and a clinician who explains alternatives neutrally are the three safeguards that stand up across all of them.

What people often get wrong about gummy smile treatment

The first misconception is that a gummy smile is a gum problem. In many people the gums are entirely normal and the lip or jaw is responsible. Treating the gum in those cases removes healthy tissue and changes nothing about how much shows in a smile. The fix is not cosmetic ambition but a correct diagnosis.

The second is that injections are a trial run for surgery. They can be a useful way to preview a less mobile lip, but they tell you nothing about how gum contouring or jaw surgery would look, because they act on a different cause. If a clinician proposes injections to help you imagine gum surgery, ask how the two connect.

Third, lasers are widely believed to make gum reshaping painless and permanent. Lasers are one tool for cutting soft tissue. They can limit bleeding during the procedure, but comparative evidence on pain and healing is inconsistent, and a laser does not change the biological rule that gum grows back toward bone that sits too high.

Fourth, people assume lip repositioning is a filler procedure or a lip lift. It is neither. Fillers add volume; a lip lift shortens the skin under the nose from the outside; lip repositioning works from inside the mouth to limit movement. They can be confused in advertising, so ask for the technical name of what is being offered.

Fifth, a gummy smile is often described online as something that gets worse with age. The opposite tends to be true. The upper lip lengthens and loses elevation with age, so many people show less gum in their fifties than in their twenties. That natural drift is one reason some clinicians counsel younger patients with mild display to wait.

Finally, no technique guarantees symmetry or a particular look. Anyone promising an exact outcome is selling, not informing.

Gummy smile treatment questions to ask your care team

A good consultation leaves you able to explain your own diagnosis. These questions help get there.

• Which of the four causes do I have, and how did you measure it? Ask to see the lip movement measurement, tooth-length figures and any X-rays.
• If my teeth are short, is that because gum covers them or because the crowns are genuinely short? What did probing and imaging show?
• Which options would address my cause, including the ones you do not offer yourself? A clinician who names alternatives they do not perform is giving you a fuller picture.
• If gum contouring is proposed, will bone be reshaped, and if not, why do you expect the margin to stay put?
• If lip repositioning is proposed, how deep is my vestibule and how much attached gum do I have? What relapse have you seen in your own patients?
• If botulinum toxin is proposed, where exactly will it be placed, what side effects should I expect, and what happens at the review?
• How will my smile look at rest and during laughter, not only in a posed smile?
• What is the recovery timeline for me specifically, and what will I need to avoid?
• Which signs after the procedure should make me call you the same day?
• What ongoing maintenance does the result require: retainers, repeat injections, periodontal reviews?
• What would you advise if you were treating a relative with my anatomy?

Bring photographs of yourself smiling naturally, not only the one that bothered you, because clinicians plan around how your face actually moves. Writing down the answers, or asking permission to record the consultation, is reasonable. If the plan proposed starts with the most permanent option without explaining why the reversible ones were ruled out, that is worth a second opinion from another qualified clinician, which is good practice rather than disloyalty.

When to call your doctor

Most recoveries are uneventful, but certain signs mean you should contact the treating clinician promptly, and a few mean seeking emergency care.

Seek emergency care if, after botulinum toxin injections, you develop difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, generalized muscle weakness, double or blurred vision, or a drooping eyelid you did not have before. The Mayo Clinic notes these can indicate spread of the toxin beyond the treated area and need urgent assessment, even though they are rare. After jaw surgery, any difficulty breathing, rapidly increasing swelling of the face or neck, or bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure is an emergency.

Call your clinician the same day if you notice bleeding from a gum or lip wound that soaks through gauze repeatedly, a fever above 38 °C (100.4 °F), spreading redness, warmth or pus around the surgical area, pain that worsens after the third day rather than easing, a foul taste or smell from the wound, stitches that have come apart leaving the wound open, or numbness that is spreading rather than fading. Severe sensitivity in a tooth that makes eating impossible, or a tooth that feels loose after gum surgery, also warrants a call.

For orthodontic treatment, contact the orthodontist if a wire or screw is loose, if an ulcer is not healing, or if a tooth becomes painful to bite on for more than a few days.

Less urgent but still worth raising at the review: an obviously uneven result, a smile that feels tight or restricted beyond the expected window, persistent drooling or difficulty sipping, or mood changes related to your appearance. Your team would rather hear about a concern early, when it is easiest to adjust, than discover it months later. When in doubt, call; the decision about whether something needs attention belongs to them, not to a search engine.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common gummy smile causes?

The most common causes are a hypermobile upper lip, a short upper lip, gum tissue covering full-length teeth (altered passive eruption or gum overgrowth), and a tall upper jaw known as vertical maxillary excess. They often overlap. Identifying which applies to you requires measuring lip movement, tooth proportions and gum pocket depth, and this assessment determines which treatment is even relevant.

How does botulinum toxin for a gummy smile actually work?

It blocks the chemical signal that tells the lip-elevating muscles to contract, so the upper lip rises less during a smile and covers more gum. The effect begins within days, settles over one to two weeks and fades after roughly three to four months as nerve endings recover, according to the Mayo Clinic. It only helps when lip movement is part of the cause.

Is gummy smile treatment permanent?

It depends on the technique. Botulinum toxin is temporary by design. Gum contouring is generally lasting when bone is reshaped, but soft-tissue trimming alone can regrow. Lip repositioning is intended to be long term, with some relapse reported in small studies. Orthodontic changes hold only with retainers, and jaw surgery produces permanent skeletal change. Ask specifically what is being altered.

What is lip repositioning surgery and does it leave a scar?

Lip repositioning surgery removes a strip of the inner lip lining and stitches the lip lower on the gum so it cannot lift as far. Because the incision is inside the mouth, there is no visible external scar. It is done under local anesthetic, typically in under an hour, and suits people with a hypermobile lip of normal length rather than those with a tall upper jaw.

Does gum contouring for a gummy smile hurt?

The procedure itself is done under local anesthetic, so it should not hurt during treatment. Afterwards, most people describe soreness and mild swelling for a few days and some cold sensitivity while the gum matures. Pain that worsens after the third day, fever or pus are not expected and should prompt a call to the clinician. Your dentist will advise on comfort measures.

Can a teenager have gummy smile treatment?

Usually clinicians advise waiting. Gum levels continue settling into the early twenties as teeth finish erupting, and jaw growth continues through adolescence, so a gummy appearance in a teenager may lessen on its own. Orthodontic monitoring is the common pathway, with surgical options such as jaw repositioning deferred until growth is complete. The decision rests with the orthodontist and family.

Will a laser make gum reshaping better than a scalpel?

Not necessarily. A soft-tissue laser can reduce bleeding during the procedure, but evidence on whether it heals faster or hurts less than conventional techniques is inconsistent. More importantly, a laser does not change the biology: if the underlying bone sits too close to the new gum line, the gum tends to regrow regardless of the cutting tool used.

Can I have gummy smile treatment if I have gum disease?

Elective gum or lip procedures are usually postponed until gum disease is diagnosed, treated and stable, because inflamed tissue heals unpredictably and surgery can worsen attachment loss. The NIH’s dental research institute emphasizes controlling periodontal disease first. Expect a periodontal examination and professional cleaning before any cosmetic planning, and follow the treating team’s timeline.

What happens if botulinum toxin for a gummy smile goes wrong?

Most problems are temporary and resolve as the effect wears off within about three to four months. These include an asymmetrical smile, difficulty with the lip while drinking or speaking, and drooling. Rarely, the toxin spreads beyond the treated area; difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing requires urgent medical care. Report any concern to the prescriber rather than seeking extra injections elsewhere.

How long does recovery take after gummy smile surgery?

It varies by procedure. Gum contouring usually closes over within one to two weeks, with the margin maturing for several months. Lip repositioning involves swelling that peaks in the first few days and stitches that resolve in one to two weeks. Jaw surgery requires a soft diet and restricted activity for several weeks. Your surgeon’s written schedule takes precedence over general ranges.

References

• NHS: Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
• NHS: Orthodontics
• NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Periodontal (Gum) Disease
• MedlinePlus: Gum Disease

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.