Mucosal coronally positioned flap technique for management of excessive gingival display

Abstract

Improvement of smile esthetics is a major goal of modern dentistry. Various treatment modalities have been proposed to correct excessive gingival display, depending on intraoral or extraoral etiologies. This report aimed to document the use of mucosal coronally positioned flap called surgical lip repositioning technique for the management of a gummy smile associated with vertical maxillary excess. The procedure restricts the muscle pull of the elevator lip muscles by shortening the vestibule, thus reducing the gingival display when smiling. Rapid surgical healing with minimal postoperative sequelae was observed. The follow up examinations showed esthetic satisfaction up to 6 months postoperatively, at the end of one year a partial relapse was observed. Although the short-term stable results of lip repositioning surgery appear satisfying postoperatively, its utility as a long-term treatment option remains questionable. More studies with larger sample size and long-term follow-up are necessary to establish the level of scientific evidence of this procedure.