What You Should Know About Gaps In Teeth

Having gapped teeth can make anyone lose their confidence and be self-conscious about how they smile, which can be very bad for their life. There is a lot of fear that people won't take them seriously, which could make people think less of them. In addition to looking bad, gaps in the teeth, or diastema, can cause gum disease, bacteria to build up, and plaque or tartar to form, which can lead to tooth decay or cavities.

What is Diastema? | What Causes Gaps Between Teeth? | Treatments for Diastema

What is Diastema?

Diastemas are the spaces or gaps between two teeth, and they are called that. A lot of the time, they happen between two incisor teeth. They can also happen between any two teeth. The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that up to 25% adult cases have some level of this trait.

It's because the jaw bone is bigger than the teeth. If the jawbone doesn't have enough room for these, there will be spaces between the two teeth. If these are too big, they'll be too crowded. Genetics often play a role in the size of the jaw bone.

The spacing issues can develop for other reasons too such as:

You might have more space in your mouth if one of your teeth is missing, small, or has an odd shape. Adults and people who have lost teeth can get dental implants to replace their missing teeth. They are good for people who have lost a lot of teeth.
Childhood habits, like thumb-sucking, can push it forward, leaving gaps in the ground where it is.
Because of bad swallowing reflexes, there are spaces. Usually, when people swallow a part of food, their tongue will push against the roof of their mouth. For some people, their swallowing reflex pushes against the front of their body. This is called "tongue thrust," and over time, the pressure will push it forward, making more space.
Another possible reason for this is gum disease. There won't be enough bone in the mouth to keep the teeth in place, so it's a disease. It may even result a gum infection at times. As for gingivitis, on the other hand, it's a mild type of gum disease in which your gingiva is swollen. This causes bone to break down. As more bone is lost, it will become loose. This can result a gap between teeth. Read more about missing teeth.

What Causes Gaps Between Teeth?

Several ways can lead to gaps between teeth. There are a lot of things kids do that cause gaps in their teeth like tongue thrusting or sucking on their thumbs. A gap in the teeth may happen to people who push the tongue against their teeth when they eat. In the long run, having gaps in your teeth can hurt your dental health. A child who uses a pacifier or sucks on their thumb can be at risk of having these gaps, which could hurt their dental health. If you don't have any baby teeth and have to keep them for as long as it's healthy, a gap might result.

Labial frenum: If the growth of this part is in between the incisors, it can get separated and form a gap. This is the small flap that goes from the upper lip to the gums. However, the labial frenum must be massive enough to make enough room. Because if the gum tissue moves down and between the central teeth, it will help keep gaps from closing. If the teeth are too small for space, the teeth might spread out and make a gap. Gap teeth can be caused by a lot of factors, like your dental habits.

Treatments for Gapped Teeth

During the initial consultation, Dr. Hardy DDS will list and explain the different ways to close a gap in a tooth, as well as which treatment option is best for your dental needs. That’s why you don’t have to worry because at Hardy Orthodontics, the following makeover for teeth gap are available:

Invisalign

Invisalign clear aligners are made to fit your smile, making it easy to close a diastema in your teeth with this procedure. As well as fixing teeth gaps, these aligners have a lot of other good benefits going for them, too. They can fix a lot of dental problems, like bite problems, crooked teeth, openbite malocclusion, and other alignment problems. Your orthodontist will use these aligner trays to move the teeth together over number. Invisalign is a solution to straighten your teeth. Every two weeks, a new set of invisible teeth braces is put on. The process of switching back and forth keeps going until your teeth are in the right place. A retainer will then be worn to keep your teeth in their new place. Ceramic braces are another option for people who have gaps in their teeth. Invisalign gap teeth closure works very well. Fix gaps in teeth with invisible braces to improve your smile.

Porcelain Veneers

Veneers made out of porcelain are small shells that cover your real teeth. This shell can hide all of your flaws perfectly. They are one of the most popular and effective cosmetic dentistry treatments for gapped teeth. Veneers are one way to do this.

Tooth Bonding

Tooth bonding for gaps will take less than an hour to be done, and it won't hurt. Choose a composite color that is close in color to what your own teeth look like; your dentist then will shape the resin material to close the gap between your teeth. The front tooth filling or gap filling will make your teeth look like they've never been there before.

Dental Crowns

They can be used to cover all of a tooth and fill in any gaps between teeth. Crowns, or tooth caps, can also be used. With a crown, not only will your teeth look and feel better, but you won't have to worry about it falling off because it's permanently attached to your teeth.

Frenectomy

Labial frenum is a connective tissue that goes from the upper lip to the gums and sometimes it's bigger than it should be. It can be found between the front teeth. When there is a problem with the frenum or there is a gap between your teeth, it could be because of this. If this is the case, your doctor will remove the frenectomy. This treatment is used to cut down on the large labial frenum. It then needs to be fixed with orthodontics to cover up the space.

Visit us today to get a diagnosis and learn more about other ways to close the gaps in your teeth, like metal braces brackets, lingual braces for diastema, and the rest of the gap in teeth treatment braces. In addition, you can call us if you want to know how much dental treatment costs, what insurance providers we accept, how to pay, how to get to our office, or if you have any problems, questions, or concerns. We also offer dental bridges, dentures, dental implants surgery, and dental cleanings. Our team of dentists and staff are excited to meet you and help you feel better about yourself again! When your treatment is done, you'll be sure to leave our office happy. Learn more to treat gaps between teeth to improve lack of confidence in appearance due to facial appearance, i.e. underbite, overbite, buck-teeth.