Dealing with gaps.

If you feel that an excessive gap between your two upper front teeth is spoiling your smile, then there are a number of cost effective treatments which can be used to help you.
Excessive gaps between teeth are often called diastemas and, although they can occur between any teeth, they are most visible when they occur between front teeth.  Although some people are quite happy to live with a diastema and feel that it's a part of who they are, others seek treatment so what can be done?

One strategy is to move the teeth, orthodontically, to a more acceptable position.  However, for adults, this can be an expensive option typically running to several thousand pounds and, whilst it may be the preferred treatment in certain cases, there are often other, more cost effective approaches to close the gap.

A much more affordable option is to close the gap by extending the teeth either side.  This can be done using either veneers or composite (white filling) material:

• Veneers involve the placement of a thin cover over the front surface of the tooth, similar to a false nail.  However, they usually involve the removal of a layer of the front surface to compensate for the thickness of the veneer and, as a result, the treatment is not reversible.
• Build up of the tooth using composite material involves the placement of material on the inside surfaces of the tooth to narrow the gap.  No structure of the tooth is removed so the treatment is completely reversible.  However, although usually cheaper than veneers, composite material is not as hard wearing and so may require periodic repair.

Whichever option is chosen, modern materials enable the restoration to be closely matched to the colour of the surrounding teeth.

At AllClear, we will be happy to advise you on the treatments suitable for you.  For further details, please call in, phone 020 8688 3869 or see our website.