What Is the Best Treatment for the Gap in My Teeth?

Gapped teeth, medically known as diastema, can be anywhere in your mouth, but it’s most common in between your two front teeth. 

While a gap in your teeth doesn’t pose any health risks, the space can be annoying. It may even make you feel self-conscious to the point of wanting to hide your smile. Thankfully, there are plenty of cosmetic dentistry treatments available that can close the gap between your teeth and give you a smile that you’re proud to show off. 

Our cosmetic dentistry team, led by Dr. Cliff Broschinsky, at Avalon Dental offers a wide variety of procedures that can help you achieve your smile goals. 

In this month’s blog, we review your available treatment options so you can decide which is the right one for you. 

Invisalign®

Invisalign is the brand name of clear aligners that we use for orthodontic treatment. No matter your age, Invisalign uses a series of thermoplastic trays that are custom-made to fit your mouth and fit snugly over your teeth. 

The trays are removable, but you should wear them except when you eat and brush your teeth. As you wear the clear aligners, the trays apply a gentle but steady pressure to your teeth, encouraging them to move. Every week or two, you switch out a tray for a new one until your teeth have reached their new positions.

Invisalign can address numerous tooth and jaw alignment concerns, including crooked, overcrowded, and, of course, gapped teeth. 

If you’re able to wear the aligners consistently and you don’t have any major oral health issues, Invisalign could be right for you. 

Dental veneers

Veneers are very thin, custom-made shells that we attach to the top of your teeth to conceal various dental issues. The veneers can be made of porcelain or a resin composite. 

If you have multiple dental issues that you want to address in addition to teeth gaps, such as discolored teeth, broken teeth, or misshapen teeth, veneers can treat all those issues.

When you get veneers, Dr. Broschinsky starts by shaving a thin layer of your teeth’s enamel, giving the veneers a sturdy surface to hang onto. He then attaches the veneers, which have been custom-molded and color-matched to blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile. 

Dental bonding

Dental, or tooth, bonding is the process of applying a composite resin to one or more teeth to change their shape and size. 

In many cases, dental bonding is a restorative treatment used to repair a chipped or cracked tooth. But we can use it for cosmetic purposes, such as making your teeth more evenly sized or closing a gap between teeth.  

If you have mild gaps in between your teeth and don’t want to go through several months of orthodontic treatment to address them, dental bonding could be the right option for you. 

During this procedure, we start by thoroughly cleaning your teeth. Then Dr. Broschinsky applies the resin and cures it with special light tools. Once the resin has dried, he tests that it’s secure and safe to use for chewing and biting. 

To get started with any of the treatments that can address gaps in your teeth, schedule an appointment with our team by calling our San Ramon, California, office or using our online booking feature today.