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Unlike in the past where people would remove their incisors for beauty, spacing between teeth is no longer considered as beauty by most people. There are several options your dentist may recommend in order to get rid of the spacing. They include:
1. Composite build up: If there is a natural space between the teeth, which is relatively small, tooth coloured fillings can be done to close the gap.
2. Crowns: In large gaps, especially between the upper teeth, artificial crowns are usually fabricated and placed on top of the adjacent tooth to close the spaces.
3. Braces: When the spacing is generalised and associated with jaw size discrepancies, braces are used to move the teeth and bring them closer.
4. Frenectomy: This is a surgery that removes the tissue that is attached to the upper lip just next to the gum. This tissue is the main cause of space between upper incisors. When done in early age, the space closes down.
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5. Splinting: When teeth are mobile, especially in moderate gum disease, spacing can occur between them. Splinting is usually done, to fix the teeth in position and close the unwanted gaps.
6. Dentures: When one has missing teeth either due to extractions or lost in any other way, the gaps can be closed by artificial removable teeth called dentures.
7. Bridge: This is a form of a fixed denture that is made of multiple crowns fixed together. It is used to permanently replace missing teeth.
8. Habit breakers: These are oral appliances that are used in children to stop oral habits such as thumb-sucking and tongue thrusting. This aids in preventing the consequences of these habits, which is usually large unattractive spacing between the incisors and inability to bite anteriorly.
9. Implants: Surgical implants are used to hold crowns and dentures in replacing missing teeth.
10. Gum disease treatment: In severe gum disease or periodontal disease, then periodontal treatment is mandatory. Once the gums are healthy, the above options can be done to close unwanted gaps.
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