Gummy Smile Correction in Barcelona: Botulinum Toxin at Santé Clinics

Gummy Smile Correction: A 5-Minute Solution to a Lifetime Self-Conscious Smile

If you have ever held back a full smile in photos, covered your mouth when laughing, or asked friends “do my gums show too much?” — you may have what is clinically called a gummy smile (sonrisa gingival): a smile that exposes more than 3 to 4 millimetres of gum tissue when you smile fully.

A gummy smile is not a hygiene or dental health problem. It is a muscular and anatomical pattern: when you smile, the upper lip elevator muscles pull the lip up too high, exposing a strip of gum above the teeth. For many patients, this single feature undermines confidence in their smile despite having beautiful teeth.

The good news: a 5-minute injection of botulinum toxin in two precise points of the upper lip elevator muscles softens the lift, lowers the lip position over the gums, and creates a balanced, natural smile. No surgery. No recovery. No permanent change. Results last 4 to 6 months.

At Santé Clinics, on Avenida Diagonal 384, our medical team has performed thousands of botulinum-toxin smile treatments — including precise gummy smile corrections that preserve the natural character of your expression.

What Causes a Gummy Smile?

A gummy smile typically results from one or a combination of the following:

• Hyperactive upper lip elevator muscles — most common. The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle pulls the upper lip too high when smiling.
• Short upper lip — a structurally shorter lip exposes more gum at rest and during smiling.
• Excess gum tissue (altered passive eruption) — the gums sit lower over the teeth, requiring dental gingivectomy.
• Vertical maxillary excess — the upper jaw is positioned too low, requiring orthognathic surgery (rare).
• Short clinical crowns — teeth appear short relative to the gum line, requiring crown lengthening.

Botulinum toxin treats only the muscular component — and it is the most common cause. Your aesthetic doctor will assess which mechanism is driving your gummy smile and recommend the correct intervention.

How Botulinum Toxin Corrects a Gummy Smile

Botulinum toxin type A blocks the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, temporarily relaxing the targeted muscle. For gummy smile correction, the toxin is injected into one or both of two specific anatomical points:

• The “Yonsei point” — the convergence of the levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, and zygomaticus minor muscles, located in the nasolabial fold area.
• Bilateral injection points — into the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi on each side of the nose.

The dose is small — typically 2 to 4 units of Botox per side (4 to 8 total). The relaxation reduces the upper lip lift by approximately 2 to 4 millimetres, dropping the lip into a natural smiling position over the gums.

The technique is precision-dependent: too much toxin, or injections in the wrong location, will cause the upper lip to look flat, asymmetric, or affect speech and food intake. This is why the procedure must be performed by an injector trained in facial muscle anatomy.

Who Is a Candidate?

Ideal Candidates

• 3+ mm of gum exposure when smiling
• Otherwise healthy teeth and gums
• A muscular (hyperactive) component to the gummy smile
• Patients seeking a non-surgical, reversible solution
• Adults aged 18+ in good general health

Not Ideal — or Requires Combined Approach

• Vertical maxillary excess — surgical jaw correction is the definitive treatment, not toxin.
• Significant gingival overgrowth — dental gingivectomy is required.
• Short clinical crowns — restorative dentistry needed.
• Patients with neuromuscular disorders (myasthenia gravis, ALS) — toxin contraindicated.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — postpone treatment.

For mixed cases, your doctor will coordinate with a dental specialist when needed.

The Treatment at Santé Clinics

Free Aesthetic Consultation

Your aesthetic doctor:

1. Photographs your smile at rest, half smile, and full smile.
2. Measures gum exposure in millimetres.
3. Identifies the underlying cause (muscular, dental, skeletal, or mixed).
4. Plans the injection points and dose to your specific anatomy.
5. Sets realistic expectations — typically a reduction of 2 to 4 mm in gum show.

The Procedure

The injection points are marked. A topical anaesthetic may be applied (rarely needed — these are quick, fine-needle injections in a forgiving area). Using a 30G or 32G ultra-fine needle, the doctor performs 1 to 2 injections per side. Total chair time: 5 to 10 minutes.

You walk out and can return immediately to work, social events, or your day.

Aftercare

• Avoid intense exercise, saunas, and hot baths for 24 hours
• Avoid massaging or rubbing the upper lip area for 24 hours
• Mild redness or pinpoint marks resolve within hours
• Avoid lying flat for 4 hours post-treatment
• A complimentary follow-up appointment is included two weeks post-treatment to assess and touch up if needed

Results: What to Expect

• Days 3 to 5: First effect — the upper lip lifts slightly less when smiling
• Days 7 to 14: Maximum effect — gum exposure is reduced by 2 to 4 mm; smile looks balanced
• Months 1 to 4: Stable, natural-looking corrected smile
• Months 4 to 6: Effect gradually returns; muscle function recovers
• Month 5 to 6: Schedule maintenance to sustain the result

The first treatment is a learning treatment for the doctor — at the 2-week follow-up, dose can be fine-tuned. Subsequent maintenance treatments are highly predictable.

Pricing

Treatment	Price
Gummy Smile Correction (botulinum toxin)	From 350 €
Free aesthetic consultation	0 €
2-week follow-up appointment	Included

Because the dose used is small (4 to 8 units), the cost is at the lower end of botulinum-toxin treatments. Many patients combine this with other facial enhancements in the same session — lip flip, lip filler, or upper face cosmetic Botox — and the cost can often be optimised across treatments.

Combining Gummy Smile Correction with Other Treatments

Gummy smile correction pairs naturally with other smile-and-lip enhancements:

• Lip flip — additional botulinum toxin in the orbicularis oris that gently everts the upper lip vermillion, complementing the lower-lip-line of a corrected gummy smile.
• Lip filler (hyaluronic acid) — adds subtle volume to the upper lip, further reducing perceived gum show by elongating the visible lip.
• Upper face Botox — frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet — done in the same appointment.
• Skin booster for the perioral area — reduces fine lines around the lips.

Your doctor will design the integrated protocol that achieves your goals harmoniously.

Indications and Contraindications

Indications

• Excessive gum exposure on smiling (3+ mm)
• Hyperactive upper lip elevators
• Patient seeking non-surgical correction
• Patient willing to commit to maintenance every 4 to 6 months

Absolute Contraindications

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Known hypersensitivity to botulinum toxin
• Active infection at the injection site
• Neuromuscular disorders (myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton, ALS)

Relative Contraindications

• Concurrent aminoglycoside antibiotics (potentiates effect)
• Active anticoagulant therapy (manage bruising risk)
• Significant facial asymmetry — requires careful dose mapping

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my smile look weird or unnatural?

When dose and injection points are correct, the smile looks better and more natural, not different. Patients consistently report that family and friends notice “you look so happy” or “your smile looks great” without identifying the intervention.

What if I get too much toxin and my lip looks flat?

This is why expert technique matters. With our two-point conservative protocol (2 to 4 units per side), this complication is rare. If a patient is over-corrected at the first treatment, the effect is temporary and self-resolving within a few weeks. Subsequent treatments dial in the optimal dose.

Can I eat and drink normally?

Yes, immediately after the treatment. Some patients describe a slightly different sensation when sipping from a straw or whistling for the first week — this resolves and is not noticeable to others.

Will this affect my ability to make other facial expressions?

No. The dose is small and targeted. You can still smile, kiss, eat, drink, speak, and laugh fully. The change is only the height of the upper lip lift during a smile.

Is this the same Botox they use for wrinkles?

Yes. The same active molecule (botulinum toxin type A — Botox, Azzalure, or Dysport) is used at a much smaller dose and at different anatomical points.

How long does it last?

4 to 6 months. With consistent maintenance, some patients find that the muscle gradually deconditions slightly over years of treatment, allowing longer intervals between sessions.

Will my dentist see a difference?

Your gums and teeth do not change. Only the upper lip position when you smile changes. Your dentist will not see anything different in your dental exam.

Book Your Free Consultation in Barcelona

If your gummy smile has been holding back your confidence, the solution is faster and simpler than you might expect. At Santé Clinics, your journey begins with a free aesthetic consultation where our specialists assess your smile, identify the cause, and design a personalised plan.

Contact us: - WhatsApp: +34 699 14 58 87 - Visit: clinics.sante.co - Address: Avenida Diagonal 384, 08037 Barcelona, Spain - Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-20:00

Smile freely. Book your free gummy smile consultation at Santé Clinics today.