Cosmetic Approach to Closing Teeth Gaps
Feeling good about your smile can have a significant impact on your confidence and professional relationships. The extra space between the surrounding tooth creates a gap. Often a gap tooth is formed when a person’s teeth are too small or when gum line tissue overgrows between teeth. This condition affects both adult and children. In children, the gap may disappear once their permanent teeth grow. However, in adults, gaps between teeth may need to be corrected. Two approaches can be used to close gaps between teeth, utilizing orthodontic or cosmetic procedures. The recommended treatment for gap teeth may depend on the location and size of the gap tooth. For some patients, cosmetic procedures may be the best treatment plan to close a gap tooth.
Closing a Tooth Gap Without Braces
If the gap tooth does not require orthodontic procedures, cosmetic dental treatment is a convenient and effective method to treat a gap tooth. The treatment cost can vary based on the complexity of the procedure. These are the most common cosmetic procedures used to close a gap tooth.
- Porcelain dental crowns and veneers.
Often when patients think about dental crowns, it can be easily associated with correcting a damaged tooth. However, crowns are beneficial in closing gaps. Crowns can be shaped to match the color and size of a tooth. Typically, porcelain is the material chosen to make crowns. The crown fits over most of the tooth, providing strong structural support, unlike veneers that are bonded to the front of the tooth. The drawback of a crown is that a significant portion of the natural teeth must be reshaped to fit the crown. Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain shaped and color like natural teeth that are bonded the tooth. The primary advantage of veneers is that only small portions of the natural tooth are sculpted to fit the veneer. Crowns will typically cost more than veneers. Both options are durable and permanent.
- Dental bonding.
Dental bonding is a more cost-effective alternative to crowns and veneers. Dental bonding is a less permanent option for closing gaps that are made from resin use to reshape a tooth. Dental bonding requires less tooth enamel removal than veneers. Tooth bonding is mostly used for repairing a chipped tooth but is an excellent temporary solution for closing gaps until a patient is ready for a permanent dental veneer.
Closing gaps between teeth can improve oral health and personal confidence. If you have concerns about tooth gaps, be sure to contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 to make your appointment.
