Awkward Teeth Spacing, The Solutions That Can Help
Gaps between teeth are very common, often developed as permanent teeth emerge in the overcrowded mouth of a child. They can occur due to thumb-sucking, missing or undersized teeth, or periodontal disease causing teeth to fall out.
Issues like these can cause spacing that results in areas where food particles are easily trapped. Gaps also mean that the bite is misaligned, which may cause chipping to the front of teeth or damage to the tops. The aesthetic issues can cause individuals to feel a lack of self-confidence for lacking a perfect smile.
Some spacing cases can be fixed with dental bonding, a biocompatible resin that can be made the same color as the neighboring teeth and shaped to fit the gap. This material can also be sculpted to change misshapen teeth or those that are too small.
Veneers are thin pieces of dental porcelain often placed on the front of teeth that have been chipped or seriously discolored, but can also cover gaps between them or reshape misshapen or make small teeth bigger when bonding is not adequate. Veneers, too, can be shaded to look like actual teeth.
In some spacing cases, a dental crown can cover teeth to provide protection, while helping to fill space on either side of each tooth. The crown is a cap that looks like a natural tooth.
If a gap is due to one or more teeth missing due to poor oral hygiene or an accident, the best replacement is a dental implant. By being anchored into the jawbone, this prevents the natural process of neighboring teeth leaning to fill the gap and eventually resulting in misalignment of the bite and the loss of other teeth. Dentures, by contrast, have to be readjusted about every five years as the jawbone gradually erodes.
The most complex way to treat gaps is orthodontics or straightening crooked teeth gradually. Invisalign is a popular alternative to traditional braces because there are no dietary restrictions, since it uses nearly invisible removable plastic trays or aligners that are removed before eating. This also makes cleaning teeth much easier. The process is also quicker than conventional braces, often less than six months compared to 2-3 years. Soothing Dental uses several advanced technologies to speed up orthodontic treatment, including Acceledent, a mouthpiece that loosens the bone around the teeth being moved, Orthopulse, a mouthpiece that stimulates cell turnover, and Propel, a procedure done in the office.
If you have a crooked smile, set an appointment for a full dental exam to explore your best options.