Three Ways To Close Gaps Between Teeth
What if any of those stars wanted to close those gaps between their teeth — like one-time Disney child actor Zac Efron did? What if you want to close the gaps between your teeth? Could they? Could you? Yes. Here’s how.
Porcelain veneers
Veneers are thin shells made of porcelain that look a lot like fingernails and, well, teeth. If you’re dissatisfied with the colour, size or shape of your teeth, veneers cover all those flaws on one or more teeth under a layer of porcelain tinted to match your other teeth exactly. Porcelain veneers can also be fit, shaped and sized to close gaps between teeth and even to lengthen teeth that are inconsistently sized. Porcelain veneers will last a couple of decades as long as you take care of the health of the underlying teeth and avoid bad habits like biting hard objects, treating your teeth like tools and clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth without wearing a mouth guard.
Bonding
Dental bonding involves the application of composite resin materials in thin layers to specific areas of your teeth. Bonding can accomplish a lot of goals, including: filling cavities, chips and cracks; covering stains that can’t be bleached away; and even lengthening teeth shorter than their neighbours. In addition to accomplishing those things, dental bonding compounds can also be applied to the edges of teeth to close gaps between them. Bonding is completely non-invasive, very inexpensive and can be accomplished by a dentist in Red Deer in 30 minutes to an hour.
Invisalign braces
In some cases, those gaps between your teeth can be more than a cosmetic nuisance; they can sometimes cause dental problems. Gapped teeth are especially vulnerable to tooth decay because they tend to trap food debris and particles. The deterioration of those food substances can also cause bad breath and, with the production of acids and bacteria, contribute to gum disease. If, for cosmetic reasons or out of concern for those types of issues, you want to close those gaps, orthodontic treatment using Invisalign’s clear and removable aligners may be able to close those gaps comfortably while also fixing any other alignment issues affecting your teeth. Invisalign can treat diverse teeth alignment issues effectively, including gapped teeth, overbites, underbites, crossbites, open bites and crowded teeth.
If the gaps between your teeth are caused by missing teeth, porcelain veneers, bonding and Invisalign aren’t the right solution for you. To replace those missing teeth and fill those wide gaps in your jaw, you should consider getting dental bridges in Red Deer. Have your dentist take a close look at your teeth and ask them to tell you if you’re a good candidate for obtaining dental bridges near you.
If you want to keep those gaps between your teeth, go for it! It sure has worked out well for Madonna, David Letterman and so many others. If, on the other hand, you want to close those gaps, there are plenty of options available to help you to achieve that goal. As a dentist near you to tell you which option is the best for your situation.