Diastema, more commonly known as a gap between teeth, is a common problem many individuals face.
Causes of a diastema include:
- Extended frenum: A diastema can be caused by many factors, such as an extended frenum that goes between your teeth, separating them. An example of a frenum is the thin muscle that attaches your tongue to the floor of the mouth.
- Swallowing habit: It can also be caused by how you swallow. When we swallow, our tongue should be against the roof of the mouth, but if your tongue pushes against the front teeth instead, then the pressure may cause them to move apart over time.
- Thumb sucking: Constantly sucking your thumb can put pressure on your teeth to move to allow the thumb to fit better. This overbite can cause the teeth to shift away from each other. We have a detailed blog titled “How can thumb sucking impact your child’s future smile?” on the Smile Team website at https://smileteamtoronto.ca/blog/.
- Genetics: A diastema can be passed onto the next generation.
- Missing tooth: Teeth are all held together like fences; each fence relies on the other to be held in place correctly. If a tooth is missing or taken out, other teeth will begin to move to fill that space in. This could lead to big gaps between teeth.
- Periodontal disease: Periodontal disease is a dental condition that slowly wears away the bone that supports the tooth. Wearing away of that bone can cause the tooth to shift in position, which may cause gaps between teeth. We have a detailed blog titled “What is periodontitis?” on the Smile Team website at https://smileteamtoronto.ca/blog/.
Treatment options for a diastema:
- Braces: Braces can be used to bring the teeth together and loosen the gap between them.
- Invisalign: This can also help change the movement of the teeth and bring them closer together. The main difference between braces and Invisalign is that Invisalign is removable while braces are not.
- Composite resin bonding: A tooth-colored bonding material called composite resin can be used to fill the space between small gaps.
- Veneers: These are tooth-shaped shells that cover the tooth. The disadvantage is that the tooth may need to be shaved down first to place the shells on top.
- Frenectomy: A diastema caused by an extended frenum can be fixed by the surgery called frenectomy, where part of the frenum may be removed or readjusted.
Here at the Smile Team, we are ready for any questions you may have about a diastema, and we will provide you the best treatment options available for you! We are open Mondays to Saturdays and speak GUJARATI, HINDI, URDU, TAGALOG, and ARABIC. You can contact us here at Markham, ON, by calling 416-546-5599.