Gaps between teeth
Gaps between teeth pose aesthetic and speech problems, especially if they occur in the upper jaw . This can come in the form of single tooth gaps or multiple teeth gaps.
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Single tooth gaps
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Multiple teeth gaps
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The common causes of gaps between teeth are
1) Mesioden, an extra unerupted tooth between the upper incisors
2) Gum disease. Gum disease reduces the bone support for teeth. With the loss of bony support, teeth will drift apart during function.
3) Discrepancy between jaw and teeth sizes. Some people have a bigger jaw and smaller teeth, and as result
multiple gaps will appear between teeth.
4) Teeth that are either congenitally missing or lost due to tooth decay.
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Gaps due to gum diseases
Sometimes, gaps between teeth can be attributed to undetected gum disease. Periodontitis ( advanced gum diseases with bone lost ) can cause a drifting of teeth under normal masticatory function . It is imperative that any underlying gum diseases are first treated before any attempt is made to close up the gap(s) with braces or porcelain veneers .
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The common causes of gaps between teeth are
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Metal or Ceramic braces
Traditional metal braces
Improvement in bonding and materials have resulted in smaller metal brackets and wires. With smaller brackets, cleaning is easier and the brackets are more comfortable and less visible.
Ceramic Braces
These are made of composite materials . They are not so visible unlike metal braces. Adults like to chose ceramic braces because they “blend in “ with the teeth and are less noticeable than metal braces. These are the type of braces Tom Cruise had. However they are more costly and treatment time is a bit longer than metal braces
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Aligner treatment –Invisalign
In most cases of gaps between teeth, traditional braces are not required.
Invisalign can be a great solution for minor gaps. Invisalign uses see through retainer-like devices to gently close the gaps between teeth. These invisalign appliances are change every three weeks. They are however more expensive than traditional braces.
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Porcelain Veneers.
Porcelain veneers can provide “instant orthodontics “ for closing gaps between teeth.
Porcelain veneers are essentially porcelain laminates. These are wafer-thin shells of porcelain bonded to the front of teeth. They are also very conservative compared to conventional crowns which require a lot more teeth preparation.
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Gaps between front two teeth
Gaps between the upper two front teeth can be quite unsightly. Fortunately with porcelain veneers, this problem can be solve rapidly.
The advantage of porcelain veneers is that it close gaps rapidly , in just two visits . Instant orthodontics or porcelain veneers can be used to close gaps between upper central incisors with very good aesthetic results
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Contra indications for closing gaps with porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers to close gaps are not suitable for all patients. The case above was presented with a large gap between the upper incisors . Moreover, there was also an edge-to-edge bite.
Closing the gap with two porcelain veneers will result in two incisors that will look fat . And with the unfavourable bite, increasing the incisal length will not be possible . Hence, the final veneers would look short and wide, resulting in a highly unaesthetic effect. In this case , braces would be a preferred treatment option. Link www.singaporeorthodontist.sg
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