La Habra/Chino Hills, CA – Madonna or Michael Strahan wouldn’t look the same without their signature gap between their front teeth – but not everyone wants to embrace that look. If you have a gap between your front teeth that you aren’t happy with, an orthodontist can help.

“Diastema is what we call that gap between the teeth,” says Dr. Robert Gire of Gire Orthodontics. “While it is most common for this gap to be between the two upper front teeth, it can occur between any two teeth. It can be caused by an underlying issue that could cause dental or orthodontic problems for you.”

Diastemas can be caused in different ways. For some patients, a discrepancy in the size of their jaws and/or teeth can lead to crowding, but for others it leads to an extra space. Other people may be missing teeth or have smaller teeth, and some people may have an oversized frenum. The labial frenum is the tissue that extends from the inside of the upper lip to the gums, just above the front middle teeth. In some cases, the frenum continues to grow, blocking what would have been the natural closing of the space between the two middle teeth.

In other instances, there can be habits on the patient’s part that can lead to the diastema. For instance, thumb sucking can pull the teeth too far forward. Tongue thrust is another habit that can push the teeth forward. Both of these can lead to spacing between the front teeth.

You may also notice your child has a gap as the baby teeth fall out. For many children, these diastemas will correct as the permanent teeth erupt and move to their locations.

A gap can also be caused by periodontal disease. Periodontal disease not only affects the gums, but can also cause bone to deteriorate, causing the teeth to shift.

Gaps that are caused naturally due to mismatched jaw sizes or other natural issues tend to stay the same size over time. However, a gap caused by tongue thrust or periodontal disease can get larger with time, leading to additional issues.

Orthodontic treatment can correct the diastema. For full correction, generally patients will need to wear braces on all the teeth.

“Some people may hope that if the diastema only affects two teeth, orthodontic treatment will only be required to correct those specific teeth,” says Dr. Gire. “However, if we move some teeth, we need to assume that we are then altering the bite. Moving any teeth affects the entire mouth and we want to ensure that if we correct one issue, we aren’t creating a new issue somewhere else in the mouth.”

For patients who have a gap due to an enlarged frenum, a surgical procedure called a frenectomy can reduce the frenum. If performed on a child, the space may close on its own. For a teen or adult, braces may still be required to close the gap.

For patients who have experienced gum disease, usually treatment by a periodontist will be needed to treat the gum disease if severe. Once the mouth is stable, an orthodontist can use braces to correct the positioning of the teeth and bite.

If you have a space between your teeth, or your child has one, schedule a consultation with Dr. Gire. He will be able to help determine the cause of the gap and if treatment is indicated to help correct it. Call us to schedule a complimentary consultation, La Habra 562-690-1199 or Chino Hills 909-393-9911.