Your mom might find your gapped-tooth smile endearing, and it very well may be true that your smile is cute! But just imagine how much prettier your smile could be if you filled those gaps in your teeth.
But how should you go about doing so?
Well, here at our Waterford dental office, you have a number of options to fill gaps in your teeth, some of which are quick and relatively easy.
3 Options for Filling Small, Natural Gaps in Your Teeth
1. Dental Bonding (Onlays/Inlays)
Dental bonding is the fastest and usually least expensive way to fill gaps, especially at the front of your teeth.
Dr. Alkass can use a tooth-colored composite resin, the same material that is used to fill cavities, in order to fix cosmetic imperfections. The entire visit shouldn’t take more than an hour.
2. Invisalign Treatment
We can’t say enough about the benefits of Invisalign treatment. Not only can Invisalign correct gaps in your teeth, but it can straighten your smile overall. When you have a straighter smile, you feel better, look better, speak better, and even chew better, ultimately contributing to a greater sense of confidence.
Invisalign treatment is based on using a series of clear aligners that gradually shift your teeth into optimal positions. Invisalign clear aligners should be worn for about 22-23 hours every day for about 8 months, give or take a couple months. They can be removed to allow for eating and brushing.
Learn more about how Invisalign works here.
3. Porcelain Crowns & Veneers
Dental crowns are most often used to protect teeth after root canal treatment, but they can also be used for cosmetic purposes.
The main difference between a porcelain crown and a veneer is that veneers only cover the front of a tooth, while crowns cover the entire tooth. Additionally, porcelain crowns are considered a necessity to protect teeth, while veneers are typically considered a cosmetic solution.
Both are long-lasting, durable, natural-looking solutions to fill gaps in teeth.
Here in our Waterford dental office, we not only offer traditional crowns and veneers, but we also use the BruxZir brand of crowns for patients who choose this option. Made of solid zirconia, BruxZir crowns are stronger than ceramic restorations, and their translucency and color are as close to natural teeth as possible.
3 Ways to Replace Missing Teeth
The above solutions are ideal for filling natural, small gaps in your teeth. However, if you’re missing full teeth, then dental bridges, dental implants, or dentures may be better options for you.
1. Dental Bridges
For a dental bridge, the natural teeth in front of and behind a gap would be modified, and an impression would be taken of all three spaces. A bridge would then be created that has three elements attached together into one piece: a crown that would be placed over the front tooth; an artificial tooth, called a pontic, that would fit into the gap; and an additional crown that would be placed over the back tooth.
2. Dental Implants
Dental implants remain the most reliable, natural-feeling, and longest-lasting solutions to replace missing teeth. An implant procedure involves placing a titanium screw into the bone where the missing tooth is, and this device would act as a natural root of a tooth. Eventually, a crown would be used to fill the gap in your teeth, and it would attach to this root.
Learn more about the traditional dental implant process here.
We also offer one-day dental implant procedures here in our Waterford office. Learn more about Straumann Dental Implants here.
3. Full or Partial Dentures
Traditional removable full or partial dentures can also be used to replace missing teeth. You also have the option of hybrid implant dentures, also known as implant-supported dentures, to fill the gaps.
At Alkass Dental, we also offer one-day dentures, so you can leave the same day with temporary dentures until your permanent set is available.
Learn more about our one-day dentures here.
To discuss your options for filling gaps in your smile, make an appointment to see Dr. Alkass by sending us a message online or calling our dental office, located on Voorheis Road.
