Can Lefort 1 improve a gummy smile and make the angle less steep?

Question

Can a person get Lefort 1 done purely for cosmetic reasons to improve a gummy smile? Also, in doing so does the lower jaw automatically rotate up making the finial angle less steep or is there another procedure required along with or fort 1?

Federico Hernandez-Alfaro, MD, DDS, PhD · Answer

Upper jaw surgery can impact the maxilla upwards and reduce the nose / lip distance and amount of exposed gum.

Majid Jamali, DMD · Answer

Absolutely. The best treatment for skeletal origin is to have Lefort. Once that is planned, the clinician will evaluate your facial angles and see if jaw or chin surgery is needed

Gerald Wittenberg, MSc, DMD (retired) · Answer

You are quite perceptive. The actual 'angle' of the jawline does not change, however, since the lower jaw is the 'same' as before. The facial height changes and your 'perception' of the 'slope' changes. Jawline augmentation of the 'angles' of the jaw will give you what you want; since the 'slope of the lower jaw' is part of the same growth pattern that lead to the gummy smile. See website for examples of ramal augmentation to visualize the concept

Can Lefort 1 improve a gummy smile and make the angle less steep?

Answers (3)