Growing Gap – Dr Keith Cohen answers
June 17th, 2010Question: I am 57, and have had regular dental treatment/care all my life, but have always had a gap between my two front teeth. As I get older and my gums recede, this gap is growing and I hate it. Can I do anything cosmetic about it without extractions? My gums do appear to be fairly delicate, though my dentist does not say that I have any particular disease. I have asked his opinion about this, but he was not very forthcoming.
Answer: As we grow older, gums quite often recede, and this can be worsened by gum disease and brushing out teeth incorrectly. If the teeth are healthy the simplest way of reducing the space would be by bonding some composite restorations to the side of the teeth. Another option would be with veneers or crowns if the teeth are more heavily restored. However, if the space is quite large then the appearance can also be improved by partially closing it.
