Is A Lip Lift The Right Procedure To Show More Teeth?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a lip lift question. I’m attaching pictures of myself with and without a smile. I don’t have a problem showing too little teeth when I smile, but when I am just speaking very little of my top teeth show at all. Do you think a lip lift will be of benefit for me?

A: With a very thin lip from one mouth corner to the other, a subnasal lip fit may likely create a pulled central upper lip but still leaving thin sides. This often looks unnatural particularly if one ask the lip lift to do too much. (over lifted) I think your lip is too thin for that procedure to produce an appreciable result and runs the risk of looking unusual. I would have to do some computer imaging to see what it looks like. More likely a lip advancement (vermilion advancement) would produce a more effective and natural looking result. It would also create a more even amount of increased upper tooth show.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana