# What's up with bad tooth-to-gum ratios? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182 "2013-10-25T03:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/1 "2013-10-25T03:25:31Z")
I heard “tooth-to-gum” ratio for the first time on Family Guy, and I was so relieved that I wasn’t the only one who noticed such a thing. Why does it primarily affect women? I’ve seen dozens upon dozens of women with massive gums but only several men with them. Also, is it that they actually have insanely large gums or do they just smile a certain way that causes their upper lip to pull up, which simply gives the impression of massive gums? [http://i.imgur.com/VEKMkeD.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/VEKMkeD.jpg) [http://images.sodahead.com/polls/003235151/1357975411\_before20big20smile\_xlarge.jpeg](http://images.sodahead.com/polls/003235151/1357975411_before20big20smile_xlarge.jpeg) [http://i.imgur.com/TWfVW.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/TWfVW.jpg) [http://thedirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DIRTY\_phpR6zJGt.JPG](http://thedirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DIRTY_phpR6zJGt.JPG) [http://i.imgur.com/lShF1by.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/lShF1by.jpg) [http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2909/tumblrlmekcn9ysb1qgjsxh.jpg](http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2909/tumblrlmekcn9ysb1qgjsxh.jpg) [http://totalfootballmadness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Marek-Hamsik.jpg](http://totalfootballmadness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Marek-Hamsik.jpg) But yeah…if I had gums like that you’d never catch me dead taking “selfies” (not that I do anyway since I’m not narcissistic…) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/2 "2013-10-25T14:25:49Z")
I think it’s the way they smile more than anything. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/3 "2013-10-25T14:32:04Z")
I disagree, bump, some people definitely have more gums up there! In moderate cases I don’t think it is unattractive and can be attractive in a way. Unsurprisingly there is a fetish for large gum ratio out there. Hah! ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/4 "2013-10-25T15:17:59Z")
Gum contouring and surgically attaching the little piece of skin behind the upper lip to the top gum more than it already is so their upper lip doesn’t slide up so far would make a world of difference in all of those smiles. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/5 "2013-10-25T15:23:51Z")
Maybe they brush their teeth too often and/or too hard. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/6 "2013-10-25T15:31:37Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > I disagree, bump, some people definitely have more gums up there! > > In moderate cases I don’t think it is unattractive and can be attractive in a way. > > Unsurprisingly there is a fetish for large gum ratio out there. Hah! I doubt their gums are physically larger, but maybe their upper lips are smaller, or they peel back differently than the rest of ours. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/7 "2013-10-25T16:33:15Z")
Famously: [Butthead](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120108001810/beavisandbutthead/images/b/b1/Butt-head.png) ---
**Author:** ![MrPeabody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@MrPeabody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrPeabody)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-bad-tooth-to-gum-ratios/672182/8 "2013-10-25T17:09:28Z")
When my son was finishing extend orthodontic procedures we were advised of his gum to tooth ratio. He decide to have his gums shaved to expose more of the tooth. It was very minor but the results were quite amazing. I don’t think we would have considered it except for the fact he had 8 years of work on his teeth and he wanted them to be the best looking they could. Is is a minor cosmetic action.