Lip repositioning: A case report and review of literature over a decade

Abstract

Excessive gingival display (EGD) resulting in a “gummy smile” is a major esthetic concern in an individual’s personal and social life. Numerous treatment modalities have been used for the correction of EGD. This report describes the successful treatment of a young man with an excess gingival display caused by a hyperactive upper lip that was treated with a lip repositioning surgical technique along with a literature review spanning a decade. The procedure was accomplished by scraping a strip of mucosa from the maxillary buccal vestibule and suturing the mucosa of the lip to the mucogingival junction. This technique results in shortened vestibule and restricted the muscle pull of the elevator muscles of the lip, thereby reducing gingival display when the patient smiles.