How to Fix a Gap in Front Teeth?

“I have a gap in my teeth that wasn’t there before.” This is a common concern many patients share with their dentists. A tooth gap can appear for various reasons, and while it may sometimes be harmless, in other cases, it requires treatment.
In this article, we’ll explore the main causes of gap in front teeth, treatment options, and cost of treatment in Turkey.

Are Gapped Front Teeth a Sign of Beauty or A Dental Issue?

Judging whether gap teeth are a sign of beauty or a dental issue has always changed over time and across cultures. For example, in the past, gapped front teeth were considered a sign of beauty and good fortune; some people even went so far as to create them artificially. 

Lately, modern beauty standards tend to favor perfectly aligned teeth, with no space, so gaps are often corrected with various treatment options.
Although perceptions still vary, what is considered a flaw in one culture may remain a symbol of beauty in another. Ultimately, it’s a relative concept.

How Does A Tooth Gap Occur?  

A gap tooth is also called a diastema. It can develop for several reasons, Such as: 

Genetic causes:

• Small teeth in a large jaw: A person may inherit small teeth from one parent, and a relatively large jaw from the other, creating extra spaces between the teeth.
• Missing or Extra teeth at birth: It is a common cause for diastema, when certain teeth are missing from birth, especially in the front area, and also extra numbers of teeth, “mesiodens”, between the two centrals, which causes the surrounding teeth to drift away, creating a gap in between front teeth.
• Labial Frenum: A tissue connects the inside of the upper lip with the gingiva in the upper jaw; in some cases, it has a lower attachment in the midline between centrals, making a gap between them.

Pathological cause

• Cysts or tumors
  Conditions such as cysts or tumors in the anterior area of the jaw can affect and push roots of the anterior teeth, making the crowns diverge away from each other and form a gap.
• Gum disease
  Like periodontitis, or infected gums that affect the tissue surrounding, weakening the support of the teeth and forming a gap in between.
• Neglected gaps between teeth
  Unrestored gaps of missing teeth can cause a gap between teeth over time. As teeth tend to shift towards the empty spaces, break teeth contacts, and gaps begin to appear. That’s why you should replace your missing teeth as soon as possible.

Childhood Bad Habits

• Tongue thrust
  Continuous pressure of the tongue against the front teeth rather than the roof of the mouth develops a diastema between teeth.
• Thumb sucking
  As the finger frequently pushes against the upper front teeth, this pressure gradually creates a gap between teeth.

Also, it may be a normal transitional phase, “Ugly Duckling Stage“, “children’s buck teeth”, during mixed dentition in children, typically between the ages of 6 to 8 years old. In most cases, it closes naturally once the upper canines erupt.

How Rare Is it to Have a Gap in Your Front Teeth? 

It is not a rare condition; tooth gaps are a common occurrence. They affect both adults and children, but it is common among children with primary teeth, or mixed dentition, and they are self-corrected once the permanent teeth erupt. 

In the US only, Adults with midline diastema are found to be 25% of the population, increasing the percentage in older people and children.

When is it Time to Fix the Gap in Your Front Teeth?

1. When you are unhappy with your smile, it may affect your self-esteem among your peers. 
   This is a purely cosmetic issue that could easily be fixed with dental veneers or dental bonding.
2. When the Gap is sudden, new, or getting wider with time
   Those are signs of underlying issues like advanced gum disease, gum inflammation, pathological cyst or tumor developing. This is an urgent case when you should see a dentist immediately.
3. Food trapped between your teeth
4. Bite problems
5. Speech problems 

The perfect time to treat any dental issue is as early as possible, ideally as soon as you notice the problem.
If you notice these gaps in your child, you’d better see a pediatric dentist to monitor the case, whether it will normally correct itself as the child is growing, or needs orthodontic treatment. 

How to Fix Gaps Between Your Teeth? 

There are several options to fix the midline space between your teeth

1- Quick fixes with cosmetic restorations

• Composite bonding restoration
  A tooth-colored dental bonding that can be applied directly on the teeth to fill gaps in front teeth and reshape them to look natural with perfect alignment.
  It is known as direct composite restoration and can usually be completed in one visit.
• Porcelain veneers
  A permanent custom-made tooth-colored ceramic shell is bonded to the tooth surface, closing the gap and improving the overall shape.
• Emax veneers are one of the most common solutions for fixing gapped front teeth; these veneers have proven their strength, durability, high translucency, and natural-looking making the perfect smile with the perfect alignment.
  This option is ideal for patients who need fast treatment and also have aesthetic issues, killing two birds with one stone.
• Dental crowns
  Ceramic crowns covering the two front teeth are considered a perfect solution when the teeth are too small or the gap is too large.

2- Orthodontic Treatment

Braces or clear aligners (like Invisalign) can be used to gently move the teeth and close the gap. This treatment physically shifts the teeth into the right position, bringing them together for a well-aligned smile. 

3- Surgical Solutions

• Frenectomy
  This treatment is applied when the gap is caused by an unusually thick and lower attached labial frenum to the upper jaw.
  Re-attaching the labial frenum in its correct place surgically is the best solution to treat diastema between teeth.
  But surgery alone usually isn’t enough to close the gap completely;  additional treatment, like braces and Invisalign, is often needed to bring the teeth together.
• Treatment of Pathologies
  Treating any underlying cause, like cysts, tumors, and periodontal disease, should be done as a first step before any cosmetic or corrective dental treatment.

4- Replacing Missing Teeth Solutions 

• Dental bridges
  They are the fastest and most affordable option to replace missing teeth. A dental bridge depends on covering the adjacent teeth and restoring the gap with pontics.
• Dental Implants 
  The best option for replacing missing teeth, and the most durable, long-term solution that doesn’t affect adjacent teeth, instead, its success mainly depends on the condition of the bone and gums.

How Much to Fix a Gap in Front Teeth?

Fixing a diastema relies on the cause; many dental treatments are excessively high-priced, like dental implants, fixed restorations, and surgeries.

In Turkey, it’s a different story; you always get affordable prices compared to average prices in the USA and  Europe. For example, the cost of fixing the gap in front teeth using dental implants ranges from $450 to $600, while the cost in the USA, for example, is more than $3000. While Dental veneers in Turkey cost in the range of $100-$700 per tooth, and full mouth Invisalign costs range $3000, which means you can save up to 70% – 80% when you get a dental treatment in Turkey.

You can easily book a free consultation with Suave Clinic,  as a dental specialist will monitor your case and provide you with the best solution for fixing your smile.

FAQs

How To Fix a Gap in Front Teeth FAQs

Is it possible to reduce the gap between teeth naturally at home?

No, it’s not possible to reduce the gap between your teeth by yourself or apply DIY trends safely; any attempt to do so may harm your teeth badly.
Even if you use DIY Braces and Gap Bands, which are rubber bands that force teeth to move physically in certain directions, these could end up with a dental disaster and cause irreversible damage.
The only safe way is to see a qualified dentist who will provide you with professional treatments that suit your needs. 

Are there celebrities with gapped front teeth?

Yes. Several well-known celebrities have embraced their gapped front teeth, including Madonna, who is the most iconic example of finding beauty in her diastema, as she believed it gave her luck and featured her look throughout her career, and other celebs such as Eddy Murphy, Michael Strahan, Uzo Aduba, Lara Stone, Georgia May Jagger, Lily Aldridge, and many others.

Why I get a sudden gap in between my teeth?

A sudden gap between front teeth in adults often happens when an advanced acute gum disease takes place and destroys surrounding bone and ligament, or a pathological cyst or tumor suddenly breaks through and applies pressure on the teeth roots that causing crowns to move apart. 
If you lose a neighboring tooth, nearby teeth drift into the empty space, creating a gap between the front teeth.
All these symptoms are considered urgent, and you should head to a dentist as soon as possible

Is it normal to have a gap in front teeth, and when it isn’t?

It depends on the age:
If you’ve a child between 7 to 12 years, it’s a perfectly normal spacing (Ugly duckling stage) that will correct itself naturally when the canines are erupting.
If your child has any of the bad habits like thumb thucking, you should stop their habits and visit a pedodontist to correct their teeth.
If you are an adult or older, it is considered normal when: 
You are born with relatively small teeth
The gap is healthy, stable, and unchanging, and you are fine with it.
It is not normal when: 
If it appears suddenly out of nowhere, new and growing, then you should see a dentist immediately.
It is accompanied by tooth loss, bleeding, pain, any gum disease, any sign of infection, dental caries, and food accumulation.

Could I have a gap in front teeth after braces?

Yes, this can happen only in one case, if you don’t follow your dentist’s instructions after braces are off by wearing the retainer, which is a clear tray designed to keep the teeth in place, worn after orthodontic treatment for a definite time to prevent relapse.