Missing Teeth
Often gaps are seen in either the upper or lower teeth, where the adult tooth/teeth are missing and would never form.
There are 2 situations where this may occur:
- You are interested in having straight teeth and your dentist has mentioned that you are missing an adult tooth OR
- You have gaps in the upper and/or lower front teeth, where the adult tooth/teeth are missing and would never form.
These features often become obvious from mid to late teens and adults where an adult tooth/teeth is naturally missing.
Why do missing teeth need to be treated?
- Often without orthodontics, it is almost impossible to create a nice smile though dental veneers or bridges alone. This is because some spaces are too much or too little for an acceptable outcome.
- Orthodontics is often needed to move the front teeth, and to distribute the right amount of space, for short term and long term teeth replacement solutions.
- Interim solutions can be discussed with your orthodontist during the orthodontic treatment to mask the size of the spaces.
What are the treatment options?
Treatment options are generally either:
- Closing all spaces orthodontically OR
- Opening space to an ideal amount for a future prosthetic tooth replacement.
- OR a combination of 1 & 2
- If a decision is made to open the front tooth space, we would often place some tooth coloured material across the gap, as it gradually increases in size.
- Closing spaces orthodontically is preferable where you have crowding present and would like to avoid any prosthetic teeth replacement and/or if you are missing a side adult tooth.
- Appliance options can be braces or Invisalign. Which is more effective and efficient for you would be discussed at the time of your orthodontic consultation.
