Untreated gaps in your teeth can lead to severe oral health problems.
If you have gaps in your teeth yourself, you will know that this can impact your confidence levels and leave you feeling insecure about your appearance.
However, leaving gaps untreated in your mouth is not just an aesthetic issue – it can also have a negative impact on your oral hygiene levels! The longer you leave the gaps untreated, the worse the problem can become.
Why do people have gaps in their teeth?
- Missing teeth can result from several cases including:
- Natural spacing issues – e.g. not enough teeth to fill space of the mouth
- Teeth fall out due to natural causes or accident
- Misaligned teeth (caused by thumb-sucking for example)
- Gum disease which can weaken the jawbone and cause teeth to loosen or move
Treatment to target the problem of missing teeth
Thankfully, there are lots of different treatments available to solve the issue of missing teeth.
Dental veneers
Veneers are probably the most ‘intensive’ treatment for targeting gaps in the mouth. A veneer is a thin place of enamel placed on the tooth, and it can help fill the spaces between teeth by extending the surface area of the teeth that are already there.
People use veneers for solely aesthetic purposes too, since they can brighten the smile and straighten out any uneven or misshapen teeth.
Veneers are permanent, with a guarantee of about 10-20 years if they are cared for properly. This means you have to be 100% sure you are happy to go ahead with the treatment.
Bonding
Bonding is a fast and effective solution to fill gaps in the teeth. Resin is placed onto the teeth where the gap is, and then when the resin hardens it looks like a natural tooth is there.
Usually, bonding treatment can be carried out in just one meeting so it is a great option for those who are looking for fast results.
Other orthodontic treatment
If you have a more severe problem with gaps, then orthodontic treatment such as braces may be appropriate. However, braces have dramatically advanced since the days of the ‘train track’ style, so there are many braces options you can use where people won’t even notice you are wearing them.
Some braces options you can consider are:
What steps should I take now?
We advise you book a consultation meeting as soon as possible, where one of our specialist dentists can inspect your teeth and discuss the best option for you moving forward.
