Filling Gaps Between Front Teeth

While some people believe a large gap between their two front teeth is sexy, if the gap is too large or elsewhere in your mouth you may want to get it fixed. Dr. Jimmy Wu of Sutra Dental Spa in La Mesa, California has several remedies to close the gap. Have a look and see which option could be the best for you.

There are several options to fill gaps between front teeth. First, if the teeth are in good shape, you should first look to orthodontics. Investigate the possibility of getting something like Invisalign (invisible braces) to actually close the gap. That is probably the best way to deal with it and the more natural approach, as opposed to placing something on the teeth.

Now if the gap between the front teeth is fairly small, you could use a composite or a resin material. The drawback, however, is that this material does wear away faster than your own enamel, although it is similar to plastic in its strength.

You can also get a good shade match with the composite material. But while at first you might be delighted with the result, over time, that composite material will stain. So you are looking at about five to seven years of life, depending on the size of the gap, before you have to replace it.

Porcelain Veneers

The other issue of course is if your bite is deep or you have a large overbite. And in cases like that, most patients tend to move their jaw forward, and to bite with their front teeth. If you are using that resin material again, in most cases, that composite may actually chip away, and therefore fail much faster.

An option that could be much more permanent, and by that I mean 20 years plus, is using a porcelain veneer. The disadvantage of using a porcelain veneer, however, is that you have to prepare the surface of the tooth a bit to allow a space for that veneer to be placed onto it. That means that some work needs to be done to those front teeth.

Once the veneer is bonded in place to the tooth, it can be as strong as your own enamel or even stronger, as different types of porcelain can be used. So for long-term purposes, veneers would be the better option. They would also be the better option if filling in the gaps is not your only concern. If your teeth are misshapen or discolored as well, then veneers would be the much better choice for you.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.