Unfortunately, there is not a direct answer to your question since you have identified some of the issues in your question. If the patient's "gummy" smile and lip incompetence is secondary to a hyperactive lip during smiling, judiciously placed Botox is actually a very effective, albeit temporary, way of relaxing the lip during function and eliminating the gummy smile. If, in fact, you have a short philtrum and/or anatomically a short upper lip as it relates to your maxillary downward growth, Botox is not an appropriate resolution to your problem. If your caught without knowing the answer to the above two scenarios and you have a practitioner familiar with treating this condition, you can try it on a single occasion to determine if it is right for you since whatever happens will reverse itself in time. If over done, you will have difficulty smiling naturally for a couple of months. I hope this helps with your question. Good luck!
