By Dr. Helaine Smith

It’s been a busy spring. A few weeks ago I attended the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) conference in Hawaii where I learned about new techniques and advances.

And in case you missed it, I held a “I Love My Dentist” social media campaign, which was a lot of fun and covered by the local press. Over 20 people from across the U.S. sent in their stories about why they love their dentists. You can read their stories on my blog.

Many people call the office to inquire about closing gaps or spaces between their teeth – do they need veneers, braces, or what? In this month’s issue, I talk about why gaps occur and present two patients who restored their smiles – and their confidence – by eliminating gaps.

Closing Gaps Between Front Teeth Restores Patients’ Self-Confidence

By Dr. Helaine Smith

Gaps or spaces between the front teeth can cause a number of issues – and not just cosmetic ones. Large gaps can slightly impair speech, giving you a lisp, or they can make it difficult to bite into or chew food.

The front teeth also keep the tongue in place: a large gap can cause irritation as the front edge of the tongue constantly pushes through.

Although most people want to eliminate a gap between the maxillary central incisors (top two front teeth) because it’s the most noticeable type of gap, gaps occur between any of the teeth – top and bottom.

You may have a gap or gaps because your adult teeth didn’t move close together during childhood or because one tooth didn’t completely fill in and is thus missing its “edge” – a common problem with the canine teeth.

And, as you age, your teeth can shift a bit, which can open spaces between teeth that used to be close together. Or, teeth can shift due to periondontal disease.

If you have good oral health, fixing gaps is relatively easy. For a large gap between the maxillary central incisors, your dentist may use braces to close the gap as all of the maxillary or top teeth need to be moved or shifted forwarded.

If the gap is relatively small, however, your dentist may use veneers or crowns. As seen in the two photos below, this patient had a sizeable gap between his lower central incisors because his teeth were too narrow and because he had extra room in his jaw.

In order to keep most of his tooth structure, I recommended placing Empress porcelain veneers on his four bottom teeth – versus the two adjacent teeth – to evenly distribute the dimensions and add uniformity with regard to size and shape. As you can see, the result is a beautiful and natural looking smile.

Another patient had spaces between his teeth due to trauma from a childhood sports injury; he was also was missing a tooth on the side. A Boston professional who works with the public, he wanted to smile with confidence.

To close the gaps, fill in the spaces, and give him a natural looking smile, I used all porcelain crowns (this means absolutely no metal) as well as a bridge to replace the missing tooth. The restoration not only dramatically improved his smile, it also gave him the ability to better chew his food – which had been a lifelong problem.

The best part of my job is when patients see the results. This patient was overcome with emotion when he looked in the mirror at his new smile.

As you can see from both cases, you don’t need to “live with” a gap or gaps between your teeth – and fixing these problems doesn’t mean you’re vain as often the restoration improves or restores tooth function as well.  

To learn how you can dramatically improve your smile, please call Mary at our Boston office to schedule your private consultation.

By phone: 617.327.1350 ∙ Through our Website: www.helainesmithdmd.com ∙ Email: helainesmithdmd@aol.com

Tour my office – virtually!
One thing I hear repeatedly is that my dental office is definitely not a typical dental office. To help patients feel at ease, we offer sparkling water and fresh fruit. A soothing waterfall splashes gently in the back ground. And, you won’t find that anxiety-causing dental office smell, either.

While I can’t give you the olfactory experience, I can give you a view of my office via my virtual office tour.

Use your mouse to see the lobby and exam room in full color and detail – up, down, and all around. It’s amazing – as if you’re really in the room!

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