Many people suffer from gaps between their teeth which are called diastemas. These gaps can occur between any two teeth. The most common location for these gaps is between the front teeth creating an unsightly dark strip .
The main reasons these gaps are formed are:
- There is a mismatch between the size of your teeth and the size of the jaws.
- One or more teeth are missing.
- There is a large frenum( connection between the lip and jaw) that keeps the teeth apart.
- There are habits like thumb or dummy sucking.
- The way the teeth come together is wrong.
- Periodontal disease can loosen the teeth and make them drift.
- Unerutped or badly erupted teeth may prevent other teeth from finding their right position.
Treatment options
Although diastemas doesn’t have any adverse health effects it is important to find the reason why they happen. Gaps caused by periodontal disease or habits will have a tendency to grow with time making the condition worse. There are several techniques of closing a diastema, and the use of each one depends on the cause of the problem and the amount of space that has to be closed.
- Moving the teeth to close the gaps with an orthodontic treatment is many times the best solution. There is nothing better than your own teeth. Moving the teeth to the right location will provide you with a long term natural solution.
- Placing resin veneers to make the teeth look larger will close the gap. These veneers can be done in one day. Resin veneers will provide a good solution, but may chip or change color over time. The images attached show a beautiful smile Dr. Kaufman created with resin veneers.
- Crowns or a bridge For large gaps or when teeth are missing .
- Insert an implant. When teeth are missing, one or more implants can be inserted to replace them.
If you have a diastema between your teeth or if you would like more information about it, please ask Dr. Kaufman or schedule an appointment for a consultation.