Does the Droopy Tip of my Nose Affect my Smile? And if So, Will Getting a Nose Job Fix This? (photo)

Hello,


   You have asked a very interesting question.  The answer can be very technical in description, but also very simple: If you are unhappy with the appearance of your nose, a rhinoplasty could improve its features.  If you are unhappy with your smile, a rhinoplasty is not worth the expense of the procedure, the recovery, the risk, ect.

   The amount of dental show with smiling animation is in large part related to the size of the teeth and the size of the maxilla (the bone connecting the bottom of the nose to the top of the teeth).  Maybe you have seen someone smile who has a little too much show:  all of the teeth, all of the gums, and then some.  This person likely has a very large maxillary bone, a term we call vertical maxillary excess.  Oral surgery alters the proportions of the maxillary bone, not rhinoplasty.  Your upper lips and cupid’s bow are very well proportioned and I would not recommend procedures to shorten them.

  The tip of the nose drooping with conversation / animation is a common complaint in my practice.  Pay attention the next time you see a close-up of an actor in the profile (side) view, the tip of their nose will bob up and down as they are speaking.  For people that have a lot of movement or are concerned about the movement, there is a good correction for this during rhinoplasty.  Adding structure to the tip of the nose and removing one of the muscles of animation will stabilize the nasal tip considerably. 

Hope this helps.

 

Actually it is the other way around the smile is making the tip droop. This is usually treated by dividing the muscle that connects the upper lip to the nasal tip. Dividing that muscle will not increase the amount of tooth showing when you smile and may even decrease it a bit. If you plan on doing the rhinoplasty so it changes your smile you will be unhappy no matter how good the result is because the surgery cannot change the way you move the muscles when you smile.

I hope you realize that this format of posting questions and receiving answers lacks the face to face direct communication required for you to make an informed decision regarding your surgery.

My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

Rhinoplasty will not improve your smile. I agree with the description of your nose, and those things could be fixed, if you were unhappy with your nose. But do not change your nose because you think it will improve your smile.