Diastema overview and treatments

What is Diastema?

Diastema is a gap or space between the teeth. These spaces can happen anywhere in the teeth, but they are often most noticeable between the two upper front teeth. This condition affects both adults and kids. Gaps in children’s teeth may go away when their permanent teeth arrive in.

Some gaps are small and difficult to see, while others are bigger and bother some people because of how they look. There are ways to close the gap or make it smaller if you don’t like how it looks. Consult the doctor and get fix it right away as per look.

Symptoms of Diastema

A diastema is a space between two teeth.  If gum disease makes teeth loss, the person may feel pain and discomfort, especially when they eat.

Some other signs of gum disease are:

• Gums that are red
• Swollen, tender gums
• Bleeding gums
• Shrinking gums
• Smelly breath
• Weak teeth

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Causes of the gap between teeth

A diastema may arise due to the following complications such as:

1. Teeth size relative to jawbone

If a person’s teeth are too small for their jawbone, spaces may develop between their teeth. Jawbone and tooth size can be inherited, therefore diastemas can occur in families.

2. Small or loss of teeth

A diastema can happen if some teeth are losing or are smaller than others. Usually, this happens to the upper lateral incisors, which are the teeth on either side of the two front upper teeth. If the upper lateral incisors are lacking or are not very big, a space can form between the two front teeth.

3. Labial frenum is oversize

The labial frenum is the tissue that goes from the inside of the upper lip to the gum above the upper front teeth. If the tissue is big, a gap can develop between the teeth.

4. Due to Gum disease

Tooth change is frequently a sign of gum disease that it will get worse.  People with gum disease have inflammation, which affects the bone that holds the teeth together.  At some point, the teeth may begin to become loose, and gaps may form.

5. Wrong swallowing reflex

The tongue pushes against the roof of the mouth when the swallowing reflex works right. When trying to swallow, a person could instead press their tongue against their front teeth. Over time, this constant pressure on the front teeth moves them forward and forms a gap.

6. Lifestyles

Thumb sucking, lip sucking, tongue moving, and other related habits can put some pressure on the front teeth, pushing them forward, and can cause gaps between teeth.

7. The effect of primary teeth

Children can get temporary diastemas when their primary teeth, or baby teeth, fall out. Most of the time, these gaps close when their permanent, or adult, teeth come in. This kind of gap is so common that if you consult the dentist he/she will say that it is a normal part of a child’s growth. Most of the time, there is no need for treatment.

About two-thirds of children who have only the central incisors that have come in may have diastemas. The two flat teeth in the front of the upper jaw are the central incisors which diastemas can cause.

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Treatment of diastema

A diastema may not need treatment, especially if the gap is due to the size difference between the teeth and the jawbone or by the loss of primary teeth.

If treatment isn’t required for medical reasons but the person wants to close the gap for looks and because sometimes it lows the self-esteem, So, consult the dentist he/ she can recommend you the best way to treat it.

The possible treatments recommend  are:

1. Applied braces on teeth

Dentists mostly recommend you to use braces to fix gaps between teeth. The braces put pressure on the teeth, which closes the gap over time.

Even if there is only one gap, you may need to wear a full set of braces because moving one tooth affects the whole mouth.

2. Veneers or bonding on teeth

A dentist can put on veneers or dental bonding as an alternative to braces. If the diastema is caused by having smaller teeth, these options may be especially good. In dental bonding, the resin is put on the surface of the teeth, and then a light source is used to make the resin hard.

Veneers are tiny pieces of porcelain bonded to the teeth. Hence these treatments are recommended by doctors for diastema.

3. Dental implants or a bridge

If the person has diastema since they are missing teeth, they may require additional extensive dental treatment, like implants or a bridge. When putting in dental implants, metal screws are put into the jawbone and the replacement teeth are attached to them.

A dental bridge is a device that connects to the teeth on either side of the gap and holds a false tooth in place.

4. Surgery of the teeth 

When a diastema is occur due to a labial frenum that is too big, the doctor may recommend a frenectomy oral surgery to remove the extra tissue.

Older kids and adults may need some braces or need surgery to close the gap. Younger children may be able to close the space on their own as they grow.

5. Treatment for gum disease

If you have gum disease, you need to clean your teeth to stop the infection and keep things from getting worse, like losing your teeth. Scaling is used to get rid of the bacteria that are causing the infection. Antibiotics applied to the skin or taken orally also may help.

In very severe cases, may require surgery to remove deep tartar from under the gums. Once the gums are healthy again, the dentist may use one of the above mention methods to close the gap.

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