Evaluation of the effect of botulinum toxin on lip repositioning in the treatment of excessive gingival display

2. ABSTRACT EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF BOTULINUM TOXIN ON LIP REPOSITIONING IN THE TREATMENT OF EXCESSIVE GINGIVAL DISPLAY The amount of gingival tissue visible during smiling is one of the key components of smile and facial aesthetics. A "gummy smile" is defined as a 2-3 mm or more gingival display. Lip repositioning (DR) and botox (BTX) injections are the primary procedures used in the treatment of gummy smiles. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate and compare the effects of DR alone and BTX injections following DR in improving gingival visibility in patients with gummy smiles. Two groups were formed: DR (n=12) and DR+BTX (n=12). The effects of the procedures on mean gingival visibility (ODG) and lip length (SL) were measured using preoperative photographs, and those taken at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Vestibular sulcus depth (VSD) measurements at the specified times, data indicating patient satisfaction with smile aesthetics using a visual analog scale (VAS), and data indicating pain levels using a VAS scale at 12 and 24 hours post-DR were obtained from patient follow-up forms. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 21 software package, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A significant decrease in gingival display during smiling was observed in both groups following the procedures. However, the gingival smile in the DR+BTX group was statistically significantly less pronounced than in the DR group at 1, 3, and 6 months (p < 0.05). Key words: gummy smile, lip reposition, botox