All of us want a bright smile, which enhances our appearance. But imagine having a gap between your front teeth, and you don’t feel confident enough to smile. You constantly feel conscious about your bad teeth, which lowers your self-esteem. This condition is called diastema, which causes gaps between your teeth. Diastema tends to create varied problems, gum disease being one of them. Get to know more about diastema, and don’t let that harm your self-esteem, and get treated today!

What Causes Diastema?

Normal Growth

The gap between the front teeth is a typical case prevalent. It happens mainly during childhood when your teeth grow with gaps between them. In such situations, you mustn’t ignore them. Although gaps close when kids turn eight and their upper canines are formed, you need to look into the signs to mitigate them.

Size, Shape, And Position Of Teeth

The size, position, and shape of your teeth is also a factor that causes diastema. Sometimes the size of your teeth causes spaces because of their positioning in your mouth. Suppose your canines are not in a normal position; your front teeth lack the pressure that keeps drifting apart.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is another inevitable factor responsible for causing diastema. It is responsible for damaging the tissue and bones that give your teeth the support they need. Such conditions cause your teeth to loosen and gaps to form.

Improper Swallowing Reflex

Incorrect swallowing pushes the tongue against the front teeth. Such constant pressure can result in gapped front teeth.

How Do You Know You Have Diastema?

You will know you have a diastema if you have the following symptoms:

Bad breath
Loose teeth
Bright red gums
Swollen or bleeding gums

Diastema Treatment

Diastema is unfortunate and can happen to anyone. If you feel that you need to bridge the gap between your teeth, you can opt for the following treatment options:
Treating diastema with braces is a standard method. It helps you by putting pressure on your teeth, reducing the gap between teeth.
Dental veneers are made of porcelain material, which helps to treat diastema if you have little teeth.
Invisalign is a modern treatment solution after braces, which equally helps you to treat misaligned teeth effectively.

Diastema Care Tips

Although diastema is not harmful, it is detrimental to your appearance. It first appears in children, and the gaps widen largely if ignored. However, there are specific preventive measures that you can undertake to treat diastema effectively. They are as follows:
Try to brush at least twice a day daily.
It’s essential to floss daily so that there is no plaque accumulation.
Ensure frequent dental checkups for updated evaluation.
Before treating diastema, you need to treat improper swallowing reflexes.
For children, try to avoid thumb sucking, which also causes gapped teeth.

The Bottom Line

Dentists have found that, in most cases, diastema causes a change in your bite patterns, which is terrible. Although it is a cosmetic concern, ignoring diastema might cost you your oral health someday in the future. So ensure that it doesn’t happen and visit a dentist and get proper insight regarding the possible treatment options effectively. Get rid of those gaps in your teeth and secure your smile forever.