You’re not alone if you’re feeling self-conscious about a gap, or diastema, between your front teeth. Although you might think of it more as an aesthetic concern, the truth is that the wider section of unprotected tissue can trap food and attract decay or disease-inducing bacteria or increase the risk of cuts that might become infected.
Thankfully, your dentist offers various cosmetic services to help close the space and enhance your appearance and dental health. Continue reading to learn more about 3 potential treatments to decide which is right for you!
Option #1: Veneers
Veneers are thin shells made from durable porcelain that are customized to match, or improve, the color, shape, and size of your natural teeth. Then, they’re cemented to the front surfaces of your enamel to address one or more imperfections in your grin, such as chips, cracks, stubborn stains, or even mild misalignments or slight gaps.
This treatment doesn’t exert any pressure on your teeth to shift them, the way orthodontics does, but your provider can strategically arrange your prosthetics to minimize exposed sections of gum tissue, giving the illusion of an evenly spaced smile.
However, for these resilient restorations to fit correctly, your dentist must remove a small amount of enamel, which doesn’t regenerate. Veneers can help protect the underlying teeth, but if you want to avoid irreversible changes to your teeth’s structure, you might be a better candidate for a different treatment option.
Option #2: Dental Bonding
This versatile service is often considered a more cost-effective, less invasive alternative to porcelain veneers. It involves placing color-matched, putty-like composite resin directly in your teeth in layers to mend or mask damaged enamel. Once it’s molded into the ideal shape, it’s hardened with an ultraviolet curing light, causing it to bond directly with the protective outer layer of your tooth.
This method can be used to increase the size of too-short or stunted teeth with excessive spacing between them, boosting your confidence while improving your dental condition.
Option #3: ClearCorrect
Cosmetic treatments can be applied to help enhance your appearance, but if you actually want to straighten your smile, you might ask your dentist if they offer any potential orthodontic services, such as ClearCorrect.
Unlike traditional braces, which rely on bulky metal brackets and wires, this option uses transparent plastic trays that fit snugly over your arches to shift your teeth into their ideal positions more comfortably and discreetly than standard orthodontics.
If you’re still unsure of the best way to reduce the gap in your grin and boost your self-esteem, you can learn more by scheduling a cosmetic consultation with your provider!
Meet the Author
Dr. Rupeshwar Renkuntla has nearly 20 years of experience helping families build happy, healthy teeth and gums. He earned his initial Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India, then moved stateside and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery in Oklahoma. Today, he works diligently to provide a complete menu of services, including cosmetic procedures, using state-of-the-art equipment to deliver personalized results that last. You can request an appointment on the website or contact the office at (817) 989-2832.