I’m seventeen years old. My teeth are completely straight and healthy except for a small gap between my front teeth. I know that I’ve kind of lucked out in the teeth department but the small gap between the two front teeth really bugs me. My wisdom teeth still haven’t come in. Is there a possibility when they do come in it will push the gap closed? If not, is there something I can do to close it that doesn’t include a mouth full of metal?
Amanda P.
Dear Amanda,
While it is possible that the eruption of your wisdom teeth could shift your top arch and close the gap, there are also a few things that could keep that from happening.
First, the gap could be too large. That may mean that your teeth shift, but not enough to close the gap completely.
Second, there is a small piece of tissue in between your two front teeth which is known as a frenum. Most people who have a gap between their teeth, the frenum is the cause. In some patients, the frenum is so large they need to have it removed so that the gap can be closed with orthodontics.
Third, not everyone’s wisdom teeth come in straight. If they do, great. But, many patients have to have their wisdom teeth removed because they end up impacted. If that’s the case with your wisdom teeth, they won’t be available to push your diastema (tooth gap) closed. The above image shows you what impacted wisdom teeth can look like.
If it happens that you aren’t able to use your wisdom teeth to shift everything, there’s still hope. And, it won’t require a mouth full of metal.
You could use Invisalign. These are invisible aligners that can close the gap for you in a more effective and comfortable way than traditional braces.
If you don’t want to use orthodontics at all, you can go the cosmetic route. The simplest procedure is to have dental bonding done by a good cosmetic dentist. It uses composite material, similar to what you’d find with white fillings to fill in the gap. You want an experienced cosmetic dentist in order to ensure they’ll be able to make it look natural.
I hope this helps.
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