Lip repositioning surgery for the reduction of excessive gingival display : a case series

Abstract EN

Objective: The objective of this case series was to examine the outcome of lip repositioning surgery for correction of excessive gingival display.

Methods: Ten patients presented to our clinic complaining of gummy-smile, there was no skeletal component related to the etiology of the complaint.

The patients were treated by a surgical procedure for repositioning of upper lip.

The procedure was done by one surgeon and the technique involved excising a strip of mucosa form maxillary buccal vestibule followed by coronal repositioning of the mucosal edges.

The patients were recalled at 6, 12 and 18 months and the gingival display was measured and compared to baseline reading, and then the patient completed a form to evaluate their satisfaction with the result.

Results: At the final recall, three patients were satisfied with the result, one patient was indecisive, and three patients were unsatisfied.

The other three patients did not show up for examination.

Conclusion: lip repositioning surgery can reduce gummy smile without postoperative complications.

Long term satisfaction with the result needs further investigation