What is diastema?

If you have a gap or space between two of your teeth, you have a diastema. The plural of diastema is diastema. Many different kinds of animals have diastema, and they are common among children and can also exist in adults. The most common cause of diastema is a disproportionate relationship between the size of the jaw and the size of the teeth. In some cases, the shape and tension of the lip tissue may lead to a diastema, which can be caused when the lip tissue pulls on the gums and pulls the two front teeth apart from each other. In fact, the most common placement for a diastema in humans is between the two front teeth. In cases where the lip tissue, called the “frenum,” has pulled on the gum, this pressure may slowly pull the teeth apart. Some diastema may be caused by pressure from the tongue pushing on the backs of the teeth during swallowing, which may require the patient to meet with a swallowing specialist before using orthodontic treatment to repair the diastema. In cases where the jaw is disproportionately too large for the teeth, the diastema may maintain a consistent distance, or the teeth may grow closer together as the larger adult teeth come in. This depends on the developmental stage of the person with the diastema, and it is advisable to wait until a child’s adult teeth come in to determine whether a diastema needs treatment or will resolve itself.

If a diastema has bothered you, affecting your comfort with your smile or even your self-esteem, you may have thought about treatment. Throughout history and across cultures, diastema have elicited many different kinds of reactions. In some African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, diastema symbolize fertility and are thought to be beautiful. In France, they symbolize luck and happiness, while in the Middle Ages, they were associated with lusty, bawdy women, as exemplified by Chaucer’s Wife of Bath. Even in the age of corrective dentistry, you can envision the enchanting smile of Lauren Hutton, or David Letterman’s mischievous gap-toothed grin. For many people, however, a diastema isn’t a cause for smiling. Perhaps your diastema isn’t symmetrical, or is distracting or otherwise unattractive. If your diastema makes you want to frown, talk to your dentist. The treatment for diastema depends on its cause, and treatment plans vary significantly from person to person. Most cases of diastema are treated with orthodontics, though some treatments involve composite fillings, crowns, veneers, minor surgical procedures, or a combination of all these treatments. For example, if an oversized frenum is the cause of a diastema, your dental professional will first snip away the excess tissue of the frenum, releasing the tension and pressure on the teeth, and may then prescribe braces or other orthodontic treatment to encourage the teeth to realign and the gap to close. If you are troubled by a diastema, call your dentist and schedule an appointment. There’s an excellent chance that there is a treatment solution available to you.

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