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CLOSING THE GAP- DIASTEMA SPACE CLOSURE BETWEEN UPPER FRONT TEETH: OPTIONS AND TREATMENT TECHNIQUES FOR NATURAL APPEARANCE – ETHAN HARRIS, DMD

Some people love the space between their front teeth, others hate it.  The options to close this space include orthodontics (invisalign), porcelain veneers, or hand sculpted resin bonding.

Proportion of the upper six teeth, existing height and width ratios, play a major role what option will result with the most natural look and the most pleasing to the eye.

The upper two front teeth (central incisors) should show central dominance, meaning they should be the focus of the smile, by size and proportion.  However, if the front teeth are too wide to start, they will look worse if you add composite to them.  If that is the case, the patient has the option to move the teeth orthodontically or do veneers.

I have had success with natural looking results by both doing Invisalign as well as adding composite to close the gap.

What I like to do if the patient does not wish to have invisalign, is do a mock up with composite.  This means sculpt resin on the teeth without adhering it to the tooth structure just so both the patient and I can see how natural it looks.  If it looks natural, it becomes a great option for the patient without removing any tooth structure!

Photos speak a thousand words.  I can see more after taking photos than just looking.  This is why I will always take many photos including the AACD 12 pre op photos before starting a case.  

In conclusion, the three option for closing a gap are orthodontics (invisalign), hand sculpted composite resin, or porcelain veneers.  I work with each patient individually to determine what they want and what looks the most natural.  It should always look like nothing was done!

THIS GAP WAS CLOSED IN FOUR MONTHS WITH INVISALIGN!

THIS GAP WAS CLOSED IN TWO VISITS WITH COMPOSITE BONDING!

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