It also may cause embarrassment or dissatisfaction with your smile, which can decrease confidence. Gaps may also be created by external factors: habits like thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting can push teeth out of alignment, causing a gap to appear over time. Or losing a tooth can cause the teeth next to it to spread into that hole, causing gaps on either side.
Whatever the cause, gaps between teeth can be corrected. Some patients will require both orthodontic intervention and prosthetics to correct, with orthodontic treatment occuring before prosthetic correction. Both braces and Invisalign are effective in closing gaps between teeth, if used by an experienced orthodontist.
And sometimes what appears to be a gap may be in fact an improperly-rotated tooth. One good way to check for gaps in your teeth is while flossing.
Using a medium-length piece of floss, wrap your fingers around either end, then insert the floss between your teeth.
You should feel a small amount of resistance as the floss slides between your teeth. If you feel no resistance, because the floss can slide between the teeth without touching either tooth, the gap between those teeth is too large. If left untreated, those gaps may cause gingival irritation and food impaction, causing gingivitis and periodontitis. When children still have a mix of baby and adult teeth, gaps are normal as the teeth are falling out and growing in at different rates.
The gaps may resolve themselves on their own when all the adult teeth come in. Properly-aligned teeth are key to overall health. After all, your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body; keeping them clean and healthy is extremely important for the lifelong health of the rest of you!
Luckily, gaps between teeth are treatable with careful intervention by an experienced orthodontist, and one of the many conditions licensed orthodontists are specifically trained to address. There are several different treatment methods for correcting gaps between teeth: Invisalign is very effective for this condition, as are metal and ceramic braces. A retainer will also be used to keep gaps from re-opening.
Braces are an effective, convenient, and affordable method for correcting gaps between teeth. Orthodontists have used braces to help many thousands of people close their gaps. Invisalign is a reliable, effective, and comfortable way to treat a gap between teeth, when supervised by an experienced Invisalign doctor.
Clear aligners are growing in popularity across the country, since they can achieve the same results as traditional braces without the appearance of metal in your mouth, are less invasive, and can successfully correct gaps in teeth for teenagers and adults alike.
Mail-order companies use tele-dentists, which can have serious consequences for your treatment, since you lose the benefit of in-office supervision and face-to-face care. Thousands of consumer complaints have been filed against mail-order aligner companies , and the American Association of Orthodontists recently issued an advisory warning against their use.
Think carefully before entrusting the health of your smile to a video screen. Dental bonding is sometimes necessary to fully close gaps between teeth. This is typically the case when gaps are caused by having very small teeth. For dental bonding to be effective, teeth need to be positioned properly before the bonding procedure can happen. Orthodontic treatment is therefore usually required prior to dental bonding for best results.
Because gaps will re-appear if not tended to after treatment, most orthodontists recommend a bonded retainer glued behind your teeth to keep aligned teeth in place. The choices aren't always interchangeable, sometimes teeth are significantly bigger or smaller than normal, and that needs to be dealt with.
We usually can tell this will be a problem early on in the treatment, but many orthodontists wait until the teeth are straight, symmetrical and fitting together well before they make a decision on the extent of the problem, the options and the best course of action. Browser Warning. Swords Orthodontics. Menu Call. Book Now. We've Got a Smile for You! Welcome to Swords Orthodontics. Sep Why are there still gaps between my teeth?
I have been wearing braces for ages, I thought I was getting them off soon? Some non-dental examples: my watch strap has to be bigger than the outside of my wrist or it won't close my belt has to be bigger than my waist or it won't close you can imagine that Homer Simpson has some trouble with this idea my shoe has to be bigger than my foot or I can't get my foot in it, or if I can get my foot in it, then I won't be able to lace it up my bicycle tyre has to be bigger than my bicycle wheel or it won't go on.
A better example might be two rings of people holding hands and dancing around each other. Gap teeth can result from several different issues, with some of the most common being Gum disease — Untreated gum or periodontal disease can cause the teeth to loosen and drift apart over time.
Thumb-sucking or pacifier use — If your child frequently sucks their thumb or consistently uses a pacifier, this can force the front teeth forward, and push the tongue against the teeth when swallowing, opening up spaces between them.
Small teeth — Teeth can be too small in proportion to the jaw bone, causing a space. Teeth that are very small or missing may also allow other teeth to spread out, creating gaps in between teeth. Tongue thrust — This is a relatively unusual swallowing reflex that occurs when your tongue pushes against the top teeth when swallowing. This can cause tooth gaps to develop over time.
A large frenulum — The frenulum is the soft tissue located between the top two front teeth. To treat or not to treat, that is the question Sometimes, a gap in your teeth may be part of a set of problems that require orthodontic treatment to correct.
A side note about serious issues Very rarely, serious conditions can be the cause of gaps in your teeth. But the retainers won't work and help your teeth unless you wear them. If you skip this step, you could see your teeth move dramatically. It's clear that wearing retainers is one of the best ways to ensure that you don't develop gaps in your teeth after braces.
But there are many other steps you can take to keep your smile looking its best. You've followed all the steps, and you still have a gap in your teeth.
It happens, and your dental team can help. Some aligner companies offer guarantees. If you can prove that you followed each step to the letter and gaps formed, you can get another round of treatment at no cost and get back to a healthy smile. Orthodontists may not offer the same protections, but it's worthwhile to ask if problems appear.
Your doctor may surprise you. If not, you could consider another form of treatment. If you used braces the first time, for example, aligners could be a good choice for dental corrections after treatment ends.
If gaps are very small, your doctor may use modified retainers to push your teeth back into place. But if the gaps are bigger, you may need another round of treatment with aligners or braces to ensure that your teeth move back into position.
Thankfully, these adjustments are usually small, and they can be accomplished relatively quickly. But the sooner you ask for help, the better. Orthodontic Teeth Movement. Science Direct. What Now? February September Parks Orthodontics. December The Sleep Foundation. January
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