Causes of Diastema
A diastema is a gap between two teeth measuring wider than 0.5 millimeters. They are common in children and adults alike though with children, it usually disappears with the eruption of their adult teeth. A diastema is not harmful to your oral health and it is not usually medically necessary to correct it.
However, if you do not like your smile with your diastema, there are treatments available to close the gap!
What causes a diastema?
There actually a number of things that could cause you or your child to have a diastema, some of which include:
- Jawbone and tooth size: If a person’s teeth are too small for their jawbone, extra space is available for teeth to shift and create gaps. This is a genetic trait that family members may share!
- Missing teeth: Sometimes a patient may have congenitally missing teeth or some teeth may be undersized, creating a diastema. This is common with upper lateral incisors which if missing or undersize, can cause a gap between the two front teeth.
- Lost primary teeth: As your child loses their baby teeth and their adult teeth push through, they may experience a temporary diastema that will typically close as their teeth continue to come in. This is normal and does not usually require treatment.
- Gum disease: Yes, gum disease can lead to gaps in the teeth. Left untreated, gum disease leads to gum recession and bone loss which leads to loose teeth. When the teeth become loose, they are able to shift around and create a gap.
- Some symptoms of gum disease include: swollen and tender gum tissue, red or bleeding gums, receding gums, bad breath, pain while eating, and of course loose teeth.
- Frenum issues: The maxillary labial frenum is the piece of tissue that connects the upper lip to the upper gum. If this is abnormally large, it can push on the teeth and create a gap, typically between the two front teeth.
- Bad habits: Tongue thrusting and thumb or lip sucking put pressure on the front teeth and push them forward. Tongue thrusting is an improper swallowing reflex that causes a person to press their tongue forward against their teeth instead upward against the roof of their mouth. These repetitive pressures can cause a diastema to form between the front teeth.
If you or your child has a diastema that you would prefer to have corrected, speak with your dentist or your child’s pediatric dentist to see what your options are. A few options you can expect to present it to you include orthodontics, veneers, and dental bonding.
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