Dealing with a Gap Tooth

A gap tooth can be an embarrassment to deal with. However, note that there are some celebrities who had to deal with a gap tooth and in fact there are some cultures that consider a gap tooth to be lucky. Dealing with a gap tooth is no big deal as even Madonna had one. Furthermore, if you are seriously troubled with the gap tooth then you can have it rectified. A gap tooth might be a problem as it usually occurs between the upper front teeth. Dealing with a gap tooth need not be a grave concern for you.

Diastema as the gap tooth is called in medical terms is the space or gap that is between two teeth.
There are several prominent celebrities and people in all walks of life who have made it big in life their gap tooth withstanding.
In fact a gap tooth can be really quite cute and captivating. There are cultures such as in Nigeria that a woman with gap tooth is considered to be more beautiful and in France it is considered to bring luck.
There is a long list of people with gap tooth such as Condoleezza Rice, Jennifer Hudson, Elton John, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The gap tooth could be due to several reasons such as:
  • The jaw bones  
  • The size of the teeth or
  • Even overcrowding of your teeth
  • The size of the teeth and the jaw bone are the major factors involved. If the size of the teeth are small when compared to the jaw bone then you will have spaces and if the teeth are larger than the jaw bone then it will result in overcrowding. 
Dealing with Gap Tooth:
It is easy as it is luckily not a health hazard. Hence, if it does not trouble you regarding the way it makes you look then you need not do anything about it.
All that you need to do in that case is to brush and floss stringently so that no hidden food particles remain stuck there and cause bacteria. 
The way that you deal with gap tooth are several. Let us look at a few of them
  • Diagnose:
The gap tooth can be treated if it is diagnosed earlier on. Hence, if you notice it get yourself to a dentist promptly
  • Cosmetic Procedure:
Braces
Once it has been diagnosed by the dentist you will have to undergo a cosmetic procedure to align the teeth by straightening them out.  This is usually done by the means of braces which are used to close the gap between the two teeth.
 
Retainers
Once you are done with the braces and your teeth have been aligned yet you must continue to wear retainers so that the teeth do not slide back into their original positions.
 
Tooth Bonding
Is a procedure that the dentist might want to consider taking your situation in to consideration? This is a quicker procedure than braces and the bonding material used will be the same color of your teeth so that the gap will not be visible at all.
 
Cosmetic Veneers
This could also be used to close the tooth gap.
 
Invisialign Braces
 These are also used as it is a kind of a clear plastic tray which will be fixed over your teeth to move them in line.
 
There are several times that the gap teeth are hereditary in families. Just because one of your parent or grandparent had it and it troubled them throughout their life they might want to have the gap tooth corrected in.
Posted By : Dr Carl on 1/10/2012 2:50:20 AM
Janet, If there is gap present between 2 adjacent teeth, then the condition can be rectified with braces, invisaligns or cosmetic procedures like dental bonding, lumineers, veneers or dental crowns. If there is gap between upper and lower arch, then it occurs because of bad bite and braces or invisaligns will be required to correct it. Normally no gap occurs between upper and lower arch and back teeth meet during swallowing or chewing. If there is gap present between upper and lower arch, then you can get treatment done for it.
Posted By : janet james on 1/9/2012 11:55:03 AM
I have gap between my upper & lower teeths. what do i do to get it rectified
Posted By : Dr Ritz on 10/17/2011 1:22:03 AM
Sanya, apart from braces treatment, to close the gap between your teeth, you can get invisaligns. Invisaligns are clear removable aligners which can be used to close the gap between teeth. You can also opt for cosmetic procedures like dental bonding, dental veneers, lumineers or dental crowns to close the gap between teeth. You can discuss about these options with your dentist. Cosmetic procedures are faster as compared to invisaligns and braces.
Posted By : Sanya on 10/17/2011 12:35:48 AM
I have gap in front two teeths but i don't like braces .. Braces are for long time .. I don't like that .. I want something which doesn't effect my teeth like we can see braces on teeth .. Something invisible and short time .. And which make my gap go away ..? Pls reply me
Posted By : Jaime on 9/25/2011 12:36:42 AM
thanks! I once had a gaptooth before with y upper front teeth. it was really embarassing and shameful because people called me ugly names for my teeth. SO i had braces, spent two years with them and paid such big price. but NOW i wish i went to FRANCE before. lol

 Post your Comments
Name
EmailId
Comments

Submit