Lip incompetence - What can be done about this as a long term fix? (Photos)

March 27, 2025
Asked By:elliemay11 in England, United Kingdom

Hi there, I had excessive upper jaw growth resulting in gummy smile which was corrected age 18 with upper jaw surgery . I could never close my lips without real strain before. The surgery did not completely fix the problem but it definitely reduced the issue. 9 years later the lip incompetence has become worse and is more obvious. My chin also dimples when i force my mouth closed. I am getting braces again as my teeth moved (lost my retainer 2 years ago and the teeth have just moved), I have a slight overbite and moderate overjet, which I do assume is contributing to the issue however even once the teeth are corrected i would like a permanent solution to the problem. I'm not so bothered about my appearance as such, it more just that the mouth is a functional part of my appearance, i feel its positioning and am always just very 'aware' of it as a result. I know that relapse after jaw surgery is very common, however I do not feel like the issue is excessive upper jaw (gummy smile). I notice from my side profile that my base of my nose and philtrum protrude out quite a bit, but other than that I don't understand whether the issue is skeletal, muscular etc. What can be done about this as a long term fix? I tried botox for gummy smile, it lowers my lip when smiling but the resting positing is still the same. Something about my facial balance from the side is just off.

6 photos

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