Botox for gummy smile: What's the effect on other facial expressions, especially mouth movement while talking? (photo)

Botox can be a great treatment to decrease the gummy show in some patients.  Proper placement and dosages should no effect the ability to smile.  If to large dosages are used, the lips with lose some eversion and may drag across the teeth.  It is important to see an expert physician in your area for proper treatment.

Thanks for your question. Judicious botox may help, but some patients don't like the way it affects the muscles of animation around the mouth. If you do it start small, and rest assured that the effect will wear off if you don't like it.The long term answer probably lies in jaw surgery to reduce the vertical height of the upper jaw (maxilla). This is considerable surgery which may be less appealing to you. It is performed by craniofacial plastic surgeons and may be somthing you wish to at least learn about.Hope this has helped and best wishes.

HiThanks for sharing your photographs.Botox is given for the upper lip elevators to correct the gummy smile. This will definitely reduce the broad appearance of the gingiva while smiling. This is the most safest and non invasive procedure to corrrect your gummy smile. This will not affect your other facial muscles if the treatment is done correctly. Botox is not a permanent way to address your complaint. To consult a cosmetic surgeon and a oro maxillofacial surgeon to have a better idea to correct your complaint permanently.  

When administered properly, Botox is a very conservative way to address decreasing the gummy show. Referring to your photos, I’d recommend injections not only in the LLSAN muscles, but also the Levator Labii Superioris, and Zygomaticus Minor, due to the appearance that your gummy show extends from the front of your smile posteriorly to the back as well.
To answer your question, these injections would only affect the muscles that elevate the lip and should only affect your smile in a positive way (that is, covering the excess gums). It should have no effect on limiting how wide you can smile.

A small amount of Botox can be used to improve a gummy smile.  It will change your smile since your upper lip will not lift as high.  If you do not like the result, it will wear off in a few months.

A gummy smile can be softened with carefully placed botox. It will change your smile a bit as the upper lip will not rise as much.

What Botox does is weaken the levator labii superioris alaque nasii. It is not a routine injection and not all physicians know how to do this. It limits the ability to lift the upper lip. It shouldn't cause any other muscle weakness. It is a temporary fix for about 2-3 months. I find that some people don't like this injection so it's not for everyone. It definitely changes the look of your smile.

When used to treat a gummy smile, Botox is injected into a specific upper lip lifting muscle.  While this treatment decreases the amount of gum appearance when smiling, it should not otherwise change the shape of your smile or prevent you from smiling.  With this treatment, a small amount of Botox goes a long way; also, keep in mind, the effects will wear off after a few months.  Good luck!

If done properly there should be virtually no effect on other facial muscles or your ability to smile. Be sure your injector is a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon