INJECTABLES & NEUROTOXINS
The 10-Minute Fix for a Gummy Smile (No Surgery Required)
If you've ever softened your smile in photos because too much gum shows, this one's for you. A few precise units of Botox can rebalance your smile — no surgery, no downtime, no frozen look.
By Total Body Aesthetic |
Here's a pattern we see all the time at Total Body Aesthetic in Westchester, Los Angeles: a patient comes in for something else entirely — Botox for frown lines, a lip filler consult — and somewhere in the conversation they mention, almost apologetically, that they've never loved their smile. Too much gum shows. They've trained themselves to smile with their lips closed, or to angle their face in photos.
And almost none of them know that the fix takes about ten minutes.
What Is a Gummy Smile, Exactly?
Clinically, it's called excessive gingival display — when more than about 3 to 4 millimeters of gum tissue shows above your upper teeth when you smile. It's incredibly common, more frequent in women, and completely harmless. But for many people it's a real confidence issue, and it's one of the most under-discussed concerns in aesthetics.
The most common cause isn't your gums or your teeth at all — it's a muscle. The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi (yes, the longest-named muscle in the human body) runs along each side of your nose and lifts your upper lip when you smile. In some people, this muscle is simply hyperactive: it pulls the lip higher than it needs to go, exposing the gum line above your teeth.
How Botox Fixes It
If you've read our posts on how neurotoxins work, you already know the mechanism: Botox and Dysport temporarily relax the specific muscle they're injected into. For a gummy smile, your injector places a small dose — typically just 2 to 4 units per side — into the hyperactive lifting muscle beside each nostril.
The result: when you smile, your upper lip still lifts naturally — it just stops over-lifting. The lip rests a few millimeters lower over the gum line, and the proportions of your smile rebalance. Teeth, lips, and just a whisper of gum. You still look like you. You still smile fully. It just photographs the way you always wished it did.
- Treatment time: about 10 minutes, start to finish
- Discomfort: minimal — a quick pinch on each side
- Downtime: none; you can return to your day immediately
- Results appear: within 3–7 days, fully settled by two weeks
- Duration: approximately 3–4 months
A gummy smile treatment pairs beautifully with a Botox lip flip — a few units along the upper lip border that let the lip roll slightly outward, adding the appearance of fullness without filler. Together, they reshape the whole lower third of the face with under 10 units of product. Ask about the combination at your consultation.
Botox vs. Other Gummy Smile Treatments
Botox isn't the only way to address excessive gingival display — but for most people, it's by far the simplest place to start. Here's how the options compare:
| Approach | Invasiveness | Downtime | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botox / Dysport | A few tiny injections | None | Yes — wears off in 3–4 months |
| Lip filler (strategic) | Injectable | 1–3 days swelling | Yes — dissolvable |
| Gum contouring (crown lengthening) | Dental surgery | 1–2 weeks | No |
| Lip repositioning surgery | Oral surgery | 1–2 weeks | No |
Because neurotoxin treatment is quick, affordable, and completely reversible, it's the natural first step — you get to preview your balanced smile for a few months before ever considering anything permanent. Most of our patients never feel the need to go further; they simply maintain with a quick visit a few times a year, often timed with their regular Botox or Dysport appointment.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
- You show more than 3–4mm of gum when you smile and it bothers you
- Your gummy smile is caused by a hyperactive upper lip (your provider will assess this — it's the most common cause)
- You want a natural result — your smile stays fully expressive
- You'd rather try a reversible option before considering dental or surgical routes
If your gingival display is driven primarily by jaw structure or tooth proportion rather than muscle activity, Botox alone may not fully address it — which is exactly why treatment starts with an in-person assessment. At TBA, gummy smile evaluations are part of our complimentary consultation, and we'll tell you honestly what injectable treatment can and can't achieve for your anatomy.
Why Precision Matters (and Why Injector Choice Matters More)
The muscles around the mouth are small, layered, and busy — they control your smile, your speech, and how you sip your morning coffee. This is not an area for a heavy hand. Over-dosing or misplacing product here can temporarily flatten the smile or affect the way the lip moves, which is why gummy smile treatment belongs with an experienced medical injector, not a bargain botox bar.
At Total Body Aesthetic, our injectors treat this area conservatively by design: start with the minimal effective dose, reassess at two weeks, and fine-tune. The goal is a smile that looks like it was always yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Botox fix a gummy smile?
A gummy smile is usually caused by a hyperactive muscle that pulls the upper lip too high when you smile. A few precisely placed units of Botox or Dysport relax that muscle so the lip rests lower over the gum line — revealing a balanced, natural smile.
How long does it last?
Results appear within 3 to 7 days, settle fully by two weeks, and last approximately 3 to 4 months. Most patients maintain results with quick visits three to four times a year — often timed with their regular neurotoxin appointment.
How much does gummy smile Botox cost in Los Angeles?
Because it uses so few units — typically 2 to 8 total — this is one of the most affordable injectable treatments available, often between $50 and $150 per session depending on dosing. We'll confirm exact pricing at your complimentary consultation.
Will my smile look frozen or fake?
No. When dosed conservatively by an experienced injector, your smile remains completely natural and fully expressive — you simply show less gum. The change is subtle to everyone but you.
Can it be combined with other treatments?
Yes — gummy smile treatment pairs especially well with a Botox lip flip, lip filler, or your regular Botox/Dysport appointment. Many TBA patients treat the gummy smile and lip flip together in a single 15-minute visit.
Love Your Smile Again
Total Body Aesthetic is located at 8610 S Sepulveda Blvd #100, Westchester — serving Playa Vista, Marina del Rey, El Segundo, Culver City, and the South Bay. Schedule a complimentary gummy smile consultation today.
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