Data indicates that up to 25.4% of adults have maxillary midline diastema. It is the gap usually presented between the two upper front teeth. Medical research also indicates that 90% of children between one and five years often have diastema in their primary teeth. However, it disappears, especially when the secondary teeth replace the baby dentition. For many different reasons, people with diastema prefer to close this gap. There are several options for this, including wearing braces, and below is a list of them.
- Composite bonding
The first recorded case of composite bonding was in 1949. A Swiss chemist called Oskar Hagger created an acrylic bonding resin specifically for the teeth. He researched ways to develop a human-friendly adhesive material for human cavity seals for many years. After several years, his hard work paid off as the first bonding system came to being. Fast forward to the 21st century, and this transformed into composite bonding.
In dentistry, composite bonding is used as a quick fix for diastemas. It is relatively cheaper and offers instant results. Before composite bonding became popular, people wore braces to close their dentition gaps for long periods. Furthermore, the tooth structure remains intact with composite bonding because there is no drilling into the teeth.
- Crowns and veneers
In 1928, a dentist in California developed veneers for a film set. The objective was to briefly alter the appearance of an actor’s teeth to make the role more believable. After that breakthrough, the dentist, Charles Pincus, wanted something better and long-lasting. This led him to develop acrylic veneers in 1937. Over the years, crowns and veneers became the go-to quick fix for dental issues.
The dentist covers one or both front teeth with a porcelain shell to reduce the wide gap known as a diastema. Although porcelain veneers are the more expensive options among quick dental fixes, they are effective and last longer. Crowns and veneers are designed to cover individual teeth; therefore, the risk of misalignment is completely dealt with. Again, the dental crown sits slightly above the gum line, making the wearer feel even more comfortable with the procedure.
- Dental implant
History has it that dental implants date back to 4000 years ago. The narrative begins with the ancient Chinese and Egyptians. The former was known to replace missing teeth with bamboo pegs—the Egyptians, instead of bamboo, drilled precious metals into the jawbone to replace any missing teeth. As crude as these may sound to you, the procedure is no different from what is now known as dental implants.
The dentist may recommend a dental implant for people with diastemas measuring a tooth wide. The truth is, diastemas come in different sizes. While some are small and thin, others are wide and big. An unusually wide diastema may interfere with the ability to pronounce words correctly. Therefore, you can opt for a dental implant to resolve the situation when this becomes a problem.
Lastly, different situations require specific procedures. Even though the objective is to close the gap in your teeth, the dentist decides which procedure is the best for you.
