Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA
Living with a gap between your teeth can be embarrassing. Often, those who have gapped teeth suffer from low self-esteem and try to hide the open space when speaking or eating. Diastema, as it is referred to, is quite common and usually begins in childhood. However, adults may experience gapped teeth later in life as a result of significant tooth loss or orthodontic relapse. The cosmetic dentists in Bloomsburg at Hamilton Dental Care offer several treatment options to correct the common dental problem. Please find out more about available treatments below in our newest blog.
What causes gaps between teeth?
Gaps or diastemas can happen in children and adults and may occur between any two teeth in your mouth, although it most commonly occurs in the front teeth. Our Bloomsburg dentists share several possible causes below.
- Thumb Sucking – When a child sucks their thumb past an appropriate age, it can force the teeth and jawbone forward and create gaps.
- Missing Teeth – Tooth loss can cause other teeth to drift out of place. While it may not happen suddenly, over time, the changes to your dental alignment may cause teeth to separate or form gaps. If missing teeth are replaced soon after the extraction, the others should not drift or move out of alignment.
- Orthodontic Relapse – If you had braces as a teen and didn’t stick to your routine of wearing a retainer as prescribed by your dentist, your teeth could shift out of alignment. This could result in what’s called orthodontic relapse, which is when the teeth revert back to their original misalignment during adulthood. Over time, it could cause your teeth to become gapped again.
Can gaps between my teeth be repaired?
Fortunately, due to advances in the dental industry, repairing gapped teeth is possible. Through various treatments, depending on your oral health needs, the board-certified Bloomsburg dentists can restore your smile and improve both the aesthetics and the functionality of your bite. Below are a few available treatment options to close the gap in your teeth. The best treatment for you will depend on the severity of your diastema and your dentist’s professional opinion.
- Dental Bonding – Dental bonding allows dentists to artistically fill in the gap with a tooth-colored resin to create a natural tooth’s appearance. Dental bonding is fast, inexpensive, and requires little to no tooth enamel removal for the procedure, and results look completely natural.
- Veneers – Veneers are thin porcelain shells shaped and colored to match your natural teeth. They are bonded to the front of your teeth and can cover most imperfections, including gaps. Porcelain veneers are durable and natural-looking.
- Orthodontics – There are some cases where the gap requires a more complex procedure than cosmetic treatments. Orthodontics is an option for these complex cases. Our Bloomsburg dentists offer Clear Correct aligner trays to close the gaps and properly align your teeth.
Family Dentist in Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA
Having a gap between your teeth may create awkward or uncomfortable social moments causing you to cover your mouth when laughing or speaking. The skilled Bloomsburg dentists near you at Hamilton Dental Care can help restore your smile through a custom treatment plan to help boost your self-esteem. If you have questions about possible treatments or are ready to begin your journey, feel free to call our office at (570) 387-0533.
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