Conveniently located to serve Dallas and Plano, TX
Botox can be used for wrinkle reduction, sweat reduction, and 24 other FDA-cleared indications in the human body. Dr. Lam also uses Botox to help with someone’s gummy smile, i.e., when one smiles too much, excessive gum is shown above the teeth. This is an unattractive feature that can be easily fixed with little cost, little to no discomfort, and increasing longevity. Dr. Lam specializes in this painless procedure and has treated a large number of individuals seeking this type of improvement.
The goal is to target a small muscle known as the levator alaeque nasi (LAN) that serves to lift the lips excessively to expose one’s gums. Fortunately, this procedure is painless using Dr. Lam’s vibratory technique, very quick (taking only a few seconds), and in almost every case has no recovery time. The result becomes apparent within a few days to a week in a subtle but profound way and should not affect speech or have other negative side effects.
Unfortunately, the procedure lasts a shorter time to start, only 6 weeks to 2.5 months but after 1 to 2 times, the interval becomes longer and longer in duration. Dr. Lam has noticed that after a few times the interval can expand all the way to 6 months to a year and require very little maintenance. This inexpensive, easy procedure is powerful in terms of the cosmetic benefits for an individual with little to no drawback.
For more information on Botox for gummy smiles, please watch Dr. Lam’s virtual consultation
Your Botox for Gummy Smile will be performed by Dr. Lam's surgery center located in Plano, TX.
FAQs
How does this work?
The treatment involves softening the levator alaeque nasi muscle (LAN) so that there is less pull upward during smile. This same muscle can also soften the depth of the smile line (but not always) as a side benefit. In most cases, this works very well and you should see an improvement within a short time after the treatment, perhaps 1 to 2 weeks after the injection if not sooner.
Is there any pain or downtime with the treatment?
Dr. Lam’s method is almost 100% painless through his method of finger vibration where most likely you will not even feel the needle and he is usually done in less than 10 seconds. Bruising is highly unlikely but always possible and should be minor in most cases. In short, there should really be no pain and no downtime in most cases.
Is there an alternative to this treatment?
There is no easy alternative to this therapy since cutting the muscle would cause too significant a dysfunction. This simple treatment is the gold standard to improve a gummy smile.
How often do I need to see Dr. Lam?
As mentioned in the introductory section of this page, unfortunately, the first treatment does not usually last a long time but may already start to fade as early as 6 weeks after treatment. Nevertheless, repeated treatments usually will last longer and longer over time. Oftentimes you will need to be treated every 2 months for 2 to 3 rounds before expanding to 3 months, and then progressively longer. The longest time that Dr. Lam sees results is between 4 to 6 months. The key is not to wait until the result fully returns back to baseline in order to try to attain longer and longer periods of time. If the result returns fully back to normal, you may need to start over with the same sequence as above. That being said, if the muscle is already weaker due to repeated treatments, it may be easier to restart the treatment with a faster ramp-up time.
Does it ever not work?
Rarely. It almost always works, but in rare cases, Dr. Lam must truly increase the dose and use an alternative method that requires injecting part of the orbicularis oris muscle lower down and to do more sequences of every 2 months in order to make the result improved and last longer. This really only occurs in less than 2% of patients.
Are there any risks to doing the procedure?
In very rare cases the smile could be crooked but that is extremely unlikely. In this rare case, that could last 1-2 months if not slightly longer. In any case, there is no long-term risk whatsoever with this treatment.
Also, watch testimonials and other videos in Dr. Lam’s Botox videos section. For a consultation with Dr. Lam regarding whether Botox for gummy smile will work for you, please email us at info@lamfacialplastics.com or call 972.312.8188.
