London, September 30 (ANI): Researchers have revealed that two simple injections into the so-called Elvis Presley muscle, which causes the gummy smile in adults, can help them smile along with the rest of the world.
A study of 52 people with a gummy smile - any show of gum that extends more than two millimetres above the teeth during smiling - revealed that doctors have discovered a way of improving their smile with two injections of botulinium toxin rather than by resorting to surgery.
Patients were given injections in the levator labii superioris nasalis muscle - otherwise known as the Elvis muscle, the Independent reported.
This muscle dilates the nostril and pulls the upper lip upwards during a smile.
It is also brought into play when someone snarls, hence its renaming in honour of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Patients given the injections were so happy with their new smiles that they gave the treatment, the benefits of which last for a minimum of three months, an average score of 9.75 out of 10.
According to the researchers, the injections can also be used to treat lopsided smiles, by varying the amount of toxin injected into the muscles either side of the nose.
The study has been published in Plastic Reconstruction Surgery. (ANI)
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