If your gapped teeth have left you feeling self-conscious or insecure about your appearance, you may benefit from dental treatment. Dr. Jay Ajmo offers many treatment options to address gapped teeth. Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments Can Be Performed To Improve The Appearance Of The Smile and make the teeth appear more evenly spaced. To undergo treatment for gapped teeth, contact our Palm Beach Gardens, FL practice today.
The Causes of Gapped Teeth
Gaps between the teeth can develop over time or patients may naturally have gapped teeth. To treat gapped teeth, it’s important to determine the cause so gaps do not develop again after treatment. The possible causes of gapped teeth include:
- Tongue thrust: Tongue thrust is a disorder that affects the swallowing reflex. It can lead to gaps developing between the teeth over time. This is because the tongue pushes into the front upper teeth when swallowing, instead of pushing into the roof of the mouth.
- Oversized labial frenum: A large gap between the front, upper teeth is often caused by an oversized labial frenum. The labial frenum is the tissue that connects the upper lip to the gums. When the labial frenum is too large, it can run between the two front teeth, creating a large gap.
- Discrepancies between tooth size and jaw size: Gaps may occur between the teeth when there are differences between the size of the teeth in relation to jaw size. Generally, smaller teeth don’t take up as much space within the jaw, resulting in gaps and spaces between the teeth.
- Tooth loss: Tooth loss can lead to obvious gaps between teeth, and they can allow the remaining teeth to shift, also resulting in gaps.
Treatment Options for Gapped Teeth
Regardless of the cause of gapped teeth, there are many treatments available to address gaps and create a beautiful smile. The type of treatment used is best decided between you and your dentist. However, some possible treatments to consider include:
- Frenectomy: A frenectomy is used to remove excess labial frenum tissue. Although a frenectomy alone won’t close the gap between the upper, front teeth, it can be combined with other treatments to allow better gap closure.
- Dental bonding: Dental bonding uses a malleable, tooth-colored resin to reshape the teeth, mask flaws, and close minor gaps between the teeth. The resin is directly applied to the teeth and shaped to the desired appearance. Once the desired appearance is achieved, the resin is hardened and polished to complete treatment.
- Porcelain veneers as instant orthodontics: Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin, tooth-shaped fabrications that fit over the front surface of the teeth. They can be used to close gaps between just two teeth or they may be used as instant orthodontics to address mild alignment issues and close multiple gaps in as little as two or three dental visits.
- Invisalign®: Invisalign® is a discreet orthodontic treatment that uses a series of clear alignment trays to effectively close gaps between teeth.
- Traditional orthodontics: Large gaps and severe alignment issues may be best suited to traditional orthodontics. Metal braces are gradually tightened to adjust dental alignment and close gaps.
- Dental implants: Gaps caused by missing teeth can be corrected with dental implants. Dental implants are surgically placed titanium posts that can be paired with dental crowns to replace individual teeth. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants can help prevent the teeth from shifting.
Schedule a Consultation
To find out which treatments are right for your needs, We Invite You To Schedule A Consultation With Dr. Ajmo.