As an article in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports (IJSCR) describes, a smile with more than 2 millimeters of exposed gum is termed a gummy smile (GS).

There are several causes of GS, including:

• Altered eruption of the teeth during childhood

• Downward movement of the upper teeth or excessive growth of the upper jawbone

• Short or overactive upper lip muscles, such as the levator labii superioris and levator anguli oris, which lift the lip upward If you have this condition, rest assured that gummy smiles are quite common.

They are found in 10.5% to 29% of the population and are more common in females.