Some people have what's called a gummy smile. This is when the teeth appear to be small in relation to the gums, making the gums rather prominent when a person smiles. This is generally only a cosmetic issue, so any intervention is entirely optional. This intervention involves a gingivoplasty, where gum tissue is reshaped to expose more of the tooth's surface. Anyone with a gummy smile has presumably gotten used to the condition, as it would have been present since their adult teeth reached full size. However, there's another condition that causes the gums to become more prominent, and this definitely requires some help from your dentist.

Swelling and Growth

Gingival hyperplasia is when the gums start to grow, regardless of age and dental development. The gums quickly become overgrown and, in extreme cases, can expand from the interdental region (the spaces between your teeth) to start to cover your teeth. The gums are swollen and can begin to hurt, meaning that gingival hyperplasia isn't the most pleasant experience. What can cause this curious and seemingly spontaneous overgrowth?

Oral Hygiene

In some cases, gingival hyperplasia is your body's reaction to poor oral hygiene. The accumulation of plaque is a common cause of gingival irritation and swelling (just think of gingivitis). When caused by inadequate oral hygiene, gingival hyperplasia can usually be reversed by greatly improving your efforts to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Anti-inflammatory medication can help to reverse the swelling. Provided you maintain your efforts, your gingival hyperplasia should be kept at bay. Of course, oral hygiene isn't always the culprit.

Medical Conditions

There are certain medical conditions that can lead to gingival hyperplasia. These are largely autoimmune diseases, blood malignancies, and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, HIV, and some types of lymphomas. While improvements to oral hygiene will be of some use, extra steps must be taken when the overgrowth caused by gingival hyperplasia has become pronounced.

Gum Tissue Removal

Your dentist will literally remove the excess gum tissue. This can require a gingivectomy to manually cut away the problematic tissues. Alternatively, your dentist might opt to excise the tissues with a laser, which cauterizes the wound as it goes, resulting in less bleeding and discomfort. For some patients, this surgical removal will need to be repeated as needed, but it won't be an especially regular occurrence (because gum tissue can't grow quite that quickly, even when amplified by gingival hyperplasia). 

Overgrown gums can be a serious problem if left untreated, with advanced swelling capable of destabilizing your teeth. So if your gums start to seem larger than usual, it might be time to schedule an appointment with a dentist.