October 2013

There are various alternatives for correcting a gingival smile, ranging from techniques such as gingivectomy to more complex and invasive procedures such as orthognathic surgery. Gingival smile is one of the most common complaints of patients seeking an aesthetic smile. This article describes the alternative treatments available for lip repositioning and improving smile aesthetics, and presents the clinical course of a gingival smile patient after undergoing the surgical technique of gingival recontouring (GR) associated with lip repositioning with restorative aesthetic treatment. The surgery performed corrected altered passive eruption of the maxillary anterior teeth and lengthened the lateral beam of the elevator muscle of the upper lip and wing of the nose, and achieved containment with sutures, reducing the gingival smile. After surgery, it was apparent that the high smile line had been successfully corrected without compromising labial harmony. The patient expressed high satisfaction with the treatment. The surgical technique proposed in this study may be a therapeutic option for lip repositioning to achieve smile harmony.