When a child smiles, it is very common to see a diastema or separation between the upper central incisors, commonly called “pallets”.
This characteristic feature of young children tends to be corrected with the passage of time, when they change their milk teeth for the permanent dentition.
This happens naturally because the permanent teeth are larger than the baby teeth.
However, and although it is not the most common, some people maintain diastemas when they reach adulthood. When this happens, the gap between teeth is no longer naturally corrected.
While some people are happy with the childlike appearance that diastemas give, others find it a challenge and prefer to undergo treatment to close the spaces between their teeth.
The gap between teeth can be corrected by orthodontics, frenectomy, veneers or composite reconstructions.
Why do I have a gap between my teeth?
By diastema we mean a small space between two teeth. Although it is most often present between the upper central incisors, Child with gaps between teethseparations can occur between any pair of teeth.
Such gaps can be generalized – several throughout the mouth – or localized. Although the causes of gaps between teeth are varied, the main ones are:
Low insertion of the upper labial frenulum:
The upper labial frenulum is a membrane that connects the inner side of the upper lip to the gum. When this frenulum has had an abnormal growth and is larger than usual, it goes down to the two upper central incisors and prevents them from joining.
Although we also have a lower labial frenulum, which can develop more than normal and give rise to a diastema, it is more frequent that the separation occurs between the upper teeth.
That said, when the diastema is due to the low insertion of the frenulum, the solution to correct it will be to perform a combined treatment of orthodontics and frenectomy.
Orthodontics: the diastema can be closed with any treatment: metal brackets, sapphire brackets, Incognito lingual brackets and Invisalign.
Frenectomy: it is a minor surgery performed under local anesthesia. It consists of cutting the frenulum and then giving stitches for the wound to close and heal.
Frenectomy is best performed by a maxillofacial surgeon or a specialist in Periodontics.
In our clinic, this intervention is performed by a periodontist, Dr. Alberto Wintergerst. All the professionals who work at DrAW Dental Clinic are specialized in one area of dentistry and, as such, practice their specialty exclusively.
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At this point, it is important to remember that Periodontics is the specialty of Dentistry that deals with the care and treatment of the gums.
Given the place that the frenulum occupies in our mouth, the periodontist is one of the professionals indicated to perform the frenectomy.
Frenectomy to close space between teeth
Upper labial frenulum
Disproportion between the size of the maxillary bone and the teeth:
Separated teeth can also appear when the jawbone has grown too large and is too wide for the teeth.
As the teeth are proportionally smaller than the jawbone, they do not occupy the full width of the bone and gaps occur.
In this case, diastemas can be generalized or localized between any pair of teeth in the mouth.
Depending on the patient’s specific case, diastemas can be corrected in several ways:
Orthodontics: treatment moves the teeth in an attempt to close the spaces.
Veneers or composite reconstructions: these treatments fill the space between the teeth. They are often performed on the upper lateral incisors.
Orthodontic treatment to bring teeth together.
Orthodontic treatment to close spaces between teeth
Suction or pushing the tongue against the teeth:
In the case of gaps between the upper central incisors, these also occur by interposing or pushing the tongue against the teeth.
This gesture can be due to simple habit or because the tongue is too large (macroglossia).
Although this gesture may seem harmless, if it is started when we are children and we maintain it over time, the space between the teeth will progressively open up.
As in the previous case, closing the gaps between the teeth can be done with orthodontics, veneers or composite reconstructions.
If I have a diastema, should I undergo treatment to close it?
Once you know the reasons why you may have a diastema, it is important to point out that the gaps between your teeth do not present a direct problem for your oral health.
However, it is very important to pay attention to these spaces when we are brushing our teeth, so that they do not become a refuge for food debris. If this were to happen, we could develop caries and/or periodontal problems (gingivitis or periodontitis).
On the other hand, from an esthetic point of view, diastemas can be a problem for those who suffer from them. If this is your case, we recommend that you see a dentist who specializes in orthodontics to determine the most appropriate solution for you.
It is possible that you have diastemas but have good occlusion. However, it is more common for these spaces to be accompanied by some type of additional problem related to the bite or the alignment of the teeth.
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