What You Need to Know About Fixing Gap Teeth – Braces
Everyone loves to see a smile. It can disarm a tough situation or brighten someone’s bad day. But if you are not confident in your smile, you just don’t feel like showing off your teeth and that can really weigh you down. Perhaps you have thought about getting braces for teeth gap for a long time, and you finally have the chance. Or, you are a teen who has been told you are finally ready for your braces.
There are a lot of solutions out there for correcting bite problems like overbites and underbites and gaps in teeth. These can be done with traditional braces before and after gap, or with newer technologies that can close gaps in your teeth without braces. Braces can also correct for misaligned jaws which cause a strain on the joints where the lower jaw meets the skull. What you definitely do not want to do is try to fix things yourself – it can end up altering your bite so your teeth are even more out of alignment and wear too quickly. So it’s really important to work with your dentist and find a good orthodontist. But before you visit your orthodontist, you might have some questions. Let’s take a few minutes and answer some of them.
How do gap teeth braces work?
Braces work by adjusting the alignment of your teeth in slow steps with usually monthly visits to an orthodontist to make adjustments. Sometimes small elastic bands are used to help line up the jaws using small hooks on the brackets. Generally speaking, in about one to two years you will be done and you will have a transformed smile. They will also ensure a proper alignment between your top teeth and bottom teeth so your bite is correct and your teeth wear properly.
What causes gaps in teeth?
You can have gaps in your teeth for a variety of reasons. You might have a tooth or teeth missing. These tooth gaps may need to be helped by a partial denture or bridge if the gap is large. There are also dental implants that can be done to replace a missing tooth. You may have small teeth compared to your neighboring teeth or you might still have a milk tooth.
Some gaps between the front teeth called diastema are caused by a large frenum, that fleshy bit between your front two teeth that kind of feels like a ligament. This can sometimes be solved by a frenectomy, which snips that tissue in the upper front teeth. This procedure may actually resolve this issue without any braces if the teeth naturally move back into place. This is often done in younger patients who are still growing for the very reason that it may fix the problem that way.
You might also have a relatively large jaw compared to your teeth and that makes them all spread out causing you to have gaps between all of your teeth. Teeth can become misaligned or have gaps due to thumb sucking also. Gaps can also be caused by stress when you clench your jaw or press hard on your front teeth with your tongue, a condition called tongue thrust. Some people push hard on their front teeth while talking and it has the same effect. There are also times that as your permanent teeth grow in, the baby teeth spaces have not yet been filled so you have a gap. This is usually temporary and goes away as soon as the permanent teeth are settled in.
There are times you can thank your ancestors, as gaps in teeth are inherited. Periodontal disease can also play a role as the pockets of bacteria grow and push the teeth out of alignment. This will need to be treated first before any orthodontic work can begin.
How can gaps in teeth be corrected?
Most times gaps in teeth are corrected by clear aligners or braces. Sometimes even after you have braces or aligning kits, you might need to have some cosmetic work done to file the teeth and line them up with the ones on either side, or you may need to look towards having a cap or bonding work done. This can help a small tooth or milk tooth fit size-wise with the rest of your teeth.
If the gaps in your teeth are caused by gum disease or jaw bone issues, you will want to get those corrected first and then once your jaw is healthy you can proceed with braces or aligners.
Dental veneers can be used to correct gaps by actually covering the teeth in a porcelain or ceramic material. This can be one way how to fix gap in front teeth without braces. You may also see a palatal expander used that actually widens the upper palate by pushing gently on the upper teeth as an alternative to braces for teeth gap.
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About traditional braces
Braces work by having metal brackets attached to the front of the front teeth and bands with brackets attached to the molars. A metal wire is run through those brackets and the alignment takes place. New advances in orthodontic treatments have paved the way for heat-activated wires to be used that let the natural heat in your mouth move the teeth faster so you can get done sooner.
Also, there are ceramic braces that work much like metal ones but they are either clear or ivory colored so they are nearly invisible. Ivory-colored wires can also be used so hardly anyone will notice your braces.
Lingual braces for gapped teeth are set behind the teeth instead of in front. The tricky part is that they can be awkward to talk around since the brackets are right there and they are harder to adjust and harder to keep clean.
There is another type of traditional metal brace that does not use tiny elastics around each bracket to keep the wires in place and they are called self-ligating braces. They use a tiny clip on the bracket to hold the wire in place. These are good because they don’t require as many visits to the orthodontist and they don’t stress the teeth as much.
Persons who have irreversible bone loss are not good candidates for braces because the teeth will not move correctly and they may not set in place properly at the end of the process.
There are other components to braces that include headgear, which are often used to help speed the effect of braces to close gap in front teeth and can be worn to correct significant overbites or underbites. Additional orthodontic appliances include positioners that are used towards the end of your time wearing braces. They are great for athletes because they can also take the place of mouthguards. They are most effective for finishing work on the front teeth. You can even wear them while sleeping as they are pretty comfortable. They should not be mistaken for clear aligners that do all of the work to ensure a gap in teeth fixed without braces.
Small spacers may be used for teeth that are crowded too closely at the beginning of treatment so that the bands can be put in more easily. They are not worn for long but they don’t like floss very well, so a good water cleaning plan needs to be in place.
How to close a gap in your teeth without braces – About clear aligning kits
Aligners work by putting pressure on your teeth to then move them into place in your mouth. These work for many people but they do not always close the space all the way if they occur in your back teeth. Still, they are a very successful way how to fix teeth gap without braces.
Many alignment kits work by getting an initial set and then having new sets of aligners arrive in the mail periodically to work on the next stage of teeth movement, usually every two weeks or so. There are relatively few orthodontist visits involved so this is a great idea for busy people. In some cases you can even bypass the initial visit by receiving a kit in the mail to take your own impression and mail it back. Using professional kits is important – you should never try to take matters into your own hands by getting orthodontic bands and trying to rearrange your teeth without advice.
Clear aligning kits are often much less expensive than traditional braces are and they take about as long to correct gaps and bite issues as metal braces. They are only suitable for adults and teens, however, and they are not good at correcting really significant overbite or underslung jaw issues.
One great advantage these have is that they are removable, so cleaning your teeth is a lot easier, and you can eat or drink without concern for food getting stuck around the braces. Clear aligners are a nice and convenient alternative for adults especially to fix your gap teeth without braces.
Care of braces
A good rinse with water after every meal helps keep food particles from accumulating and causing decay. There are special flossers that can get between teeth to make sure no food particles stay stuck there. Always brush your teeth carefully but thoroughly. Hard brushing may cause etching around the bands and leave marks once the braces come off. Then follow up with a fluoride rinse to help ensure that the teeth stay strong. Regular visits to your dentist will also be necessary to get professional cleanings and check to make sure the dentist doesn’t have any further recommendations.
As you might expect, for anyone who has ceramic braces, there is an extra measure of care that must be taken because they are just not as sturdy as metal ones.
When you are done with your braces to close gaps in teeth, you will likely be given a retainer to wear to help keep your teeth in position while they adjust to their new places and thus prevent a gap in teeth after braces.
Why did I get gaps in my teeth even with braces on?
This can happen as the teeth realign. You will have some teeth moving from one part of your jaw to another at different speeds and this can mean that you will have temporary gaps that were not there before, or a gap in front teeth after braces. Not to worry, they will generally go away as the braces do their work. It is actually quite common to see braces causing gap between front teeth during the process. Some people who use invisible aligners may have gaps in their back teeth areas as a result of the aligners moving the front teeth to correct issues.
Isn’t it expensive to get braces?
So now that we have seen what gap teeth braces can do and why they are needed, you might be worried that they will cost too much. Generally speaking they will cost between $3,000 and $10,000, depending on what kind of braces you get and how much work has to be done. Aligners are usually a less expensive option and are still an effective way how to close gaps in teeth without braces. There are some dental insurance plans that cover or contribute to the cost of braces, particularly for those under 18. Traditional metal braces are the most cost-effective type of full braces, while lingual braces are the most costly. Orthodontic work may be partially deductible on your taxes so long as they are medically necessary, which most of the time they are.
Conclusion
A healthy bite and properly aligned teeth will help keep your whole mouth healthy and spare you dental issues as you age. Consult your orthodontist to find out what the best method for your teeth will be to correct any gaps you have and get you a great smile. Whether it is through gap teeth braces or clear aligners, you will spend a little time for a lifetime reward.
