Lip Repositioning: What You Need to Know
Pros & cons
What to expect
How long recovery takes
How safe it is
How long results last
Fast facts
Lip repositioning surgery corrects a gummy smile by limiting the elevator pull muscles, which are responsible for lifting the upper lip.
The procedure restricts how high the upper lip can rise when you smile, keeping it closer to your teeth and minimizing the amount of visible gum.
Pros
- Lip repositioning requires only local anesthesia, and recovery is typically easy.
- Results are immediate.
Cons
- While results are usually permanent, some patients see the effects reverse themselves within three months.Â
- There are less invasive methods of inhibiting upper lip lift—including Botox and even certain fillers.
First, your provider (usually a board-certified oral maxillofacial surgeon or periodontist) will do a clinical exam to determine whether you’re a good candidate. People with a mildly gummy smile may do well with Botox or a gum lift, while severe cases may require more invasive orthognathic surgery, or jaw surgery.
If you’re a good candidate, your appointment will start with injections of a local anesthetic into the gums, to numb the area.
Then your provider will create two incisions, just below where your gums meet your upper lip.
They’ll remove a flap of gum tissue between these two incisions and suture the upper and lower sections together.
Afterward, your provider may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral antibiotics, to alleviate any swelling and minimize the risk of infection.Â
They may also recommend that you apply ice packs to the area and minimize your lip movement for the first week following the procedure. Two weeks after the procedure, you’ll return to your provider for a checkup, and they’ll remove your sutures.
While any surgical procedure can increase your risk of infection, bleeding, and pain, lip repositioning surgery tends to be very safe.Â
Some patients have bruising, swelling, and discomfort, though these side effects tend to be minimal. Any scars are usually hidden in the mouth.
In many cases, the results of lip repositioning are permanent.
“The correction of a gummy smile by a vestibuloplasty and muscle release has a good track history of success, with only minimal to moderate relapse,” says Carmel, Indiana, plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Eppley. “Any such relapse occurs in the first three months after surgery.”
“Generally, I consider the thin upper lip and 'gummy' smile to be most reliably treated with nonsurgical options using a combination of Botox and filler,” says Great Neck, New York, otolaryngologist Dr. Sean Alemi in a RealSelf Q&A.Â
The injectable filler increases the volume of the upper lip, minimizing the amount of visible gum for six months to a year (depending on how your body metabolizes the filler).Â
Botox or Dysport can also be injected directly into the muscles, to reduce the lift of your upper lip when you smile, but it can create asymmetry if it’s not done correctly. The effect lasts three to four months.Â
A gum lift is another option, but it may not be enough to correct a significantly gummy smile.Â
Orthognathic surgery, or corrective jaw surgery, may also be an option, depending on your anatomy. It’s much more invasive, is more expensive, and has a longer recovery time—but your results will be dramatic and permanent.
Updated June 13, 2023