If you have a gap-toothed smile, it can lend charm to your personality. Consider the examples of A-list celebrities like Anna Paquin, Madonna, Elton John, and Eddie Murphy who rock their tooth gaps. However, for some people, spaces between their teeth can be embarrassing.
Let us first understand what causes dental gaps.
What is Diastema?
Diastema or dental gaps are the extra spaces that form between your teeth. These gaps are common in children who are waiting for their permanent teeth to come in but sometimes, some of these extra spaces are retained even when you turn into an adult.
These gaps do not impact the function of your teeth and are not harmful. However, if you have developed these gaps later in adulthood, they may be signs of an underlying oral health issue.
Causes of Dental Gaps
Several factors can cause tooth gaps including:
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Discrepancies In The Size Of Your Teeth: If you have a large jaw and disproportionately small teeth, you may have a few spaces between your teeth since the teeth will be spread wide apart to fit in the arches.
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An Enlarged Frenulum: An oversized labial frenulum can also cause a gap between your two central incisors. The labial frenulum is the soft strip of flesh that attaches your upper lip to your upper gums. If it is too big, it may force your teeth to pull apart.
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Tongue Thrust: This is a condition that causes the tongue to push between your central incisors when you are speaking, swallowing, or when your tongue should be at rest. This motion forces the teeth apart over time.
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Gum Disease: If you see gaps in your teeth accompanies by inflamed and bleeding gums and bad breath, this may be caused by gum disease. Advanced gum disease destroys your gums and the supporting tissues of your teeth, causing them to become loose and grow apart.
How To Correct Diastema?
If you do not like your gap-toothed smile, there are various ways you can correct it. These can include getting a dental bonding. This is a non-invasive procedures that can fill small gaps. At Dynamic Dental Care, we will mold your teeth into the desired shape and size by applying lasers of composite resin on your teeth. Veneers are custom-fitted shells of porcelain that can be fitted over the front of your teeth to hide the gaps between them. Dental crowns can also be used. These are caps that cover the entire surface of your teeth rather than just the front. However, this is more invasive than the two procedures above and we will only recommend it if your tooth have some other issues beyond the gaps, like if it is badly decayed or fractured.
Do you have gaps in your teeth that you would like to fix? Contact us today by calling us at (509) 466-2587 and schedule a consultation with us.
If you have a gap-toothed smile, it can lend charm to your personality. Consider the examples of A-list celebrities like Anna Paquin, Madonna, Elton John, and Eddie Murphy who rock their tooth gaps. However, for some people, spaces between their teeth can be embarrassing.