Why Are Braces Not Closing the Gaps? (Between My Teeth)

August 19, 2015

Braces have the chief intention of giving you a straight and healthy smile. If they fail to close the gaps between the teeth, you could feel confused as to why. What’s the reasoning behind this? We have to understand that dental work like this doesn’t close every gap in the teeth. What are some reasons for the treatment not working?

The Shape, Size, and Position of the Teeth

In some cases, the reason that the teeth don’t close the gap has more to do with the size, shape and the position of the teeth. If you have spaces between the teeth this could happen because of any of those three things. You may see these cause problems as well beyond the aesthetics. The closeness of the teeth could start a problem as well. For example, the roots from the teeth next to each other will touch the roots, and this can cause problems. You can fix problems with shape, size, and position of the teeth through repositioning the teeth and reshaping them.

Normal Teeth?

Let’s say that you have a normal set of teeth, but you don’t see results from the dental work. The spaces between your teeth remain the same. What can you do in this situation? When the teeth around your other teeth look normal, the problem could be because of the surrounding structure. Some of the common issues that could cause this include:

Thick tissue in between the teeth.
Tongue posturing problems.
Ligament problems around the teeth.
Growths or cysts from the bone.
Could happen because of the bite.

With normal teeth, you may feel like the teeth don’t close in right. Part of the problem could be because of how the front teeth push up against the backs of the upper part of the teeth.

Detrimental to the Self Esteem

You paid money to have your teeth straightened, but unfortunately, it didn’t fix your teeth. For individuals with tooth problems like this, they may want to see an orthodontist because they can take a look at the true causes of the problem. In some cases, you may have been given Invisalign as a treatment, but they will need further assistance to help. Getting this problem fixed can improve your self-esteem and make you a happier person.

You Don’t Have to Accept Gaps in the Teeth

The orthodontist uses specialized equipment that can lower the width between the teeth, and it will do this in a way that doesn’t become harmful to the teeth. Under rare circumstances, you may have a tooth removed. Normally, this happens with one of the lower front teeth, and the braces will close the gap between the upper and lower jaw. However, specialists don’t like to use this option if they don’t have to, and they try to preserve your teeth where possible. In some cases, they will make the upper teeth a little wider to make the spaces look more normal.

What Causes the Gaps in the Teeth?

You may see gaps in the teeth because of a number of things. This happens because of the size of the jaw bone, the crowding of the teeth, thumb sucking or missing teeth. Most people feel concerned about the gaps between the teeth because of aesthetic reasons, but you also have health reasons that you might want to close these gaps. For example, the teeth exist as a way of protecting the gums and keeping them from experiencing trauma. You could risk losing teeth because of trauma to the gums where the hard foods get jammed into the gums. This can lead to other problems.

What are Your Options if Your Gap Teeth Fail?

In some cases, maybe you haven’t given the equipment enough time to perform its work. However, you have other cases where you may have worn braces for three years, and you still haven’t closed the gaps in between the teeth. Here’s what you can do. If the desired results still haven’t shown up, you might see two other orthodontists with your Invisalign. They will see the current methods being used, and they might suggest other alternatives that may give you the results you crave.

In some cases, they may recommend that you wear rubber bands because this helps you to close the gap. In some cases, you may notice a clicking with the jaw joint. You should speak with a professional to get a better understanding of your unique situation. Speaking with other specialists can ensure that you were prescribed with the right treatment.

Stay Away from Homemade Techniques

You should stay away from homemade techniques because not only can it prove ineffective, it can have dangerous health consequences. Some people may be recommending it, but we would not recommend this because the consequences of it can mean permanent damage to your teeth. It’s better to leave the dental work to the professionals.

What Causes Gapped Teeth

You have a couple of different things that cause gapped teeth. Some of the examples of causes include:

Missing teeth

Gum disease

Using a pacifier or thumb sucking

Small teeth

Large frenulum

Whether or not you should fix gapped teeth becomes a personal choice. Getting further assistance is the next step that you will need to take.

Contact Nease & Higginbotham Today

Accordingly, you may notice the treatment not working. In these cases, the best way to proceed is through speaking with a specialist who understands how to further assist you. Having the right orthodontist who understands how to proceed after this type of dental work fails can be a big help.

If you’d like to learn more, contact Dr. Nease and Dr. Higginbotham for further information. We have a team of specialists who are fully prepared to help you get the most from our services, and we will be there for you as soon as possible.