Gap in Teeth
It’s better to have white, well-aligned teeth. Your luck may slip through the gaps between your teeth.
Are you concerned about your gap between teeth? In this article, we are going to talk about the causes of gap in teeth, and possible treatment options for gap in teeth. In phrenology, people often talk about good physiognomy or the correlation between facial features related to wealth. Even if you don’t believe in the old saying, many people think the gaps between teeth are a major concern. Even when you smile, you may not be able to smile openly or you may even develop habits of covering your mouth with your hands. You may also have problems with your pronunciation. In terms of oral health, dental cavities and gum diseases can easily occur, so it is recommended to improve the gaps between teeth for oral health. Let’s find out what causes this problem and ways to solve it.
Contents
What Causes Gap In Teeth?
People who are subconscious of their gaps between teeth develop habits of covering their mouths when talking or laughing. In addition, the gaps between teeth cause various inconveniences in real life, including problems with pronunciation.
So what causes the gaps between teeth? Well, they can be classified into internal and external causes.
1. Innate Causes
The size difference between jawbone and teeth
The first main cause of gaps between teeth is the size difference between jawbone and teeth. Simply put, assuming that there is a 14cm frame, and if the frame must be filled with 14 blocks, the size of the block must be uniform at 1cm to fit correctly within the frame. But if the blocks are small or gone missing, there may be gaps between these blocks. The same rule applies to our teeth. If the teeth are missing or smaller than the jawbone, there will be a space in the arrangement.
Overdevelopment of Frenulum Labii Maxillaris
The second cause is the ‘overdevelopment of frenulum labii maxillaris’. If the frenulum labii maxillaris (a band-shaped wrinkle in the inner part of the upper lip) is overly developed, the gums form wrinkles between the teeth and eventually, the teeth cannot stay in place. In this case, part of the frenulum labii maxillaris must be removed to find the alignment of teeth.
2. External causes
After Receiving Orthodontic Treatment
Usually, orthodontic treatment is chosen to straighten out your teeth, but once the treatment is finished, there may be open spaces between them, which are called the black triangles. This happens when your teeth are removed and the rest of the teeth are not completely closed to fill in those empty spaces.
Dental Malocclusion
The first main external cause is dental malocclusion. Intersection refers to the intersection of the upper and lower teeth. Usually, it is considered an ideal intersection if the top teeth slightly cover the lower teeth. If you continue to apply forces in a wrong way or grind your teeth continuously, your teeth may get pushed sideways, creating gaps.
Gum disease
The second cause is gum disease. There are differences in the degree among people, but your teeth and gums also age as you get older. Our gums hold the teeth tightly in the beginning, but once they go through the aging process or dental trauma, our teeth may start moving or shaking. In this case, the fundamental cause of gum disease should be removed through gum treatment first. However, you should be careful not to miss the time window for treatment because gum treatment does not improve your gum condition easily or instantly.
Treatment Method Options for Gap In Teeth
1. Orthodontic Treatment
Orthodontic treatment may help adjust the gaps, but it comes with disadvantages such as longer treatment periods and the patients must be putting on braces continuously during the treatment periods.
On top of the orthodontic treatment, the overdevelopment of frenulum labii maxillaris and gum disease must be dealt with at the same time, which could be limiting factors in correcting the gaps between teeth. Also, the treatment can narrow down the gap between teeth with braces (as shown above), but it may not improve the shape of the teeth in patients with square teeth.
2. Resin Treatment
It is a treatment that fills open spaces using resin, a material widely used for such treatment. We repeat the process of hardening by adding resin little by little, and because open spaces can be treated quickly by using dental fillings, the treatment can be done within a day on your first visit and the price of the treatment is affordable to most people.
However, during the filling and hardening process with heat, tooth cracks may appear in the treated area, and due to the nature of the material, there is a disadvantage of receiving another treatment again within just a few years due to the risk of tooth discoloration or the elimination of resin.
3. Crowns
If your teeth require extensive full-scale treatment, we may proceed with crown treatment. Crown treatment is a stronger and more stable treatment than resin treatment, which is applied and hardened in a way that completely covers gaps between your teeth. However, it should be considered that the tooth molding process may lead to errors, unnecessary tooth deletion to secure more space for prosthodontics and that the damaged tooth surface (enamel) cannot be regenerated.
4. Porcelain Veneer Treatment
Porcelain Veneers treatment, widely known as aesthetic therapy, can also improve the gaps between teeth. The thin porcelain veneer on the front teeth is made as wide as the original teeth to fill in the gaps. You can improve the shape and color of your teeth at the same time while filling the gaps.
However, your teeth can be deleted at an appropriate level to secure more space for porcelain veneers, and the veneers are easily susceptible to damage.
5. Minish One-day Treatment
Minish Veneer is a kind of veneer Minish Dental Hospital is providing. The production & bonding process/restoration of eggshells with state-of-the-art technology. It restores damaged teeth and gums by filling in the damaged spaces with the material that is most similar to natural teeth without unnecessary tooth deletion.
In any case, the functional recovery of your teeth is possible without damaging your teeth, and at the same time, aesthetic recovery is possible to match the oral condition and overall facial harmony. They can also be managed after treatment in the same way as natural teeth.
Treatment Example
Elimination of frenulum labii maxillaris: First, the left and right gum lines that were not symmetrical at first are now in alignment. The periodontal sac, which can be the habitat of bacteria between teeth and gums, was removed to eliminate the source of gum disease. The overdeveloped frenulum labii maxillaris, which was the main cause of the gaps between teeth, is now partially removed and sealed up to make it look shorter.
Minish Veneer Treatment: We filled in all the spaces to form natural-looking teeth. We avoided damaging the natural teeth or utilizing prosthodontics. Instead, we filled in the enamel part with Minish treatment to restore and protect natural teeth at the same time. The broken teeth right next to the left front teeth have also been recovered, improving the overall shape of every tooth.
Treatment Process
- Organize only the contaminated and rough surfaces of the teeth (No anesthesia required)
- After making an impression of the teeth, design the tooth pattern that fits each individual. (You can consult the doctors and dental technicians to choose the design and color you desire.)
- Combine the design of Minish orthodontics with a suitable bonding material.
Benefits
- It is possible to recover the dental health of natural teeth weakened by damage and aging.
- It does not harm your teeth.
- It is a treatment that restores the strength of your teeth.
- Permanent use is possible depending on how the patient manages one’s teeth.
- It is aesthetically excellent and the results of treatment are natural.
- Treatment time is very short. Treatment is available on the first day of the visit.
Do I still need to receive treatment even if there is no problem with functionality?
If there are gaps between teeth, food may easily get stuck in between, affecting gum health. Also, the food stuck in those gaps may cause dental problems such as bad breath by creating an environment where bacteria can reproduce freely as well as aesthetic problems such as pronunciation problems.
Most of the patients who have visited us simply for aesthetic purposes have not had much damage to the enamel, the outer layer of their teeth. Minish Dental Hospital approaches such problems to the enamel layer differently, which is now recognized by academia.
Treatment to restore the properties of natural teeth not only allows the original natural teeth to be used for a long time, but also provides preventive effects to prevent dental problems in advance, reducing visits to the dentist in the future. Many people visit simply because of aesthetic problems, but Minish Dental Hospital takes various things into account, including dental health, aesthetic satisfaction, and the appearance and color of natural teeth.
Real Case Images – Gap In teeth
Minish treatment due to congenital development problems
Minish treatment after orthodontic treatment
Minish treatment due to gum aging accompanied by dental aging
Some people complain of various inconveniences in their daily lives with the gaps between their teeth. They sometimes have to cover their mouths due to insecurities or even take selfies out in public. On top of the orthodontic treatment, the overdevelopment of frenulum labii maxillaris and gum disease must be dealt with at the same time, which could be limiting factors in correcting the gaps between teeth. Also, the treatment can narrow down the gap between teeth with braces (as shown above), but it may not improve the shape of the teeth in patients with square teeth.
Conclusion
Have you experienced any discomfort today, such as problems with pronouncing words due to the gaps between teeth? By choosing the right treatment, you can easily recover your lost confidence and find your smile within a short period at Minish Dental Hospital.
