Posted by Todd Welch – April 4, 2011 – Celebrity Smiles
For some strange reason, Katie Couric‘s smile has always bothered me. Don’t get me wrong, she is a beautiful woman and I have a tremendous amount of respect for her, but one would think that someone would have told her that when she smiles she shows too much of her gums. As a periodontist, I not only treat all different types of gum diseases and place dental implants,but I also do a lot of periodontal plastic surgery procedures. The issue with Katie Couric’s smile has nothing to do with her teeth, and everything to do with her gums. This a very common dental problem commonly known as a “gummy smile“. This article is not meant to criticize her smile, but instead to use her celebrity to shed light on a very common cosmetic dental problem that can be fixed very easily by a periodontist in less than an hour.
When people smile, sometimes the appearance of their upper teeth is overshadowed by excessive
Image via Wikipedia
gum tissue. Most people that have this problem simply think that they were born with short teeth. This could not be further from the truth. These individuals, including Katie Couric, have a condition that is commonly called a “gummy smile”, properly termed excessive gingival display or gingival hyperplasia. Gummy smiles can have a negative affect on the esthetics of your smile. The good news is that a gummy smile can be corrected through various treatment options.
