In many cultures, having a gap between your teeth is considered attractive. On the other hand, spaces between teeth can sometimes create speech and dental issues in some people.

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Spacing between teeth is bothersome for a massive number of people. Not only esthetically, but food getting stuck constantly between your teeth is not a good look and can rot your teeth. The question is whether these spaces should be ignored or must be treated?

There are some problems that you can face if you have gaps between your teeth:

Bite changes

Gaps between your teeth can change your bite as the neighbouring teeth try to slide and fill those spaces. Apart from this, bite changes or functional changes in chewing can lead to TMJ-related issues resulting in pain and headaches. A misaligned bite should be considered before it leads to severe problems.

Decay and gum disease

While your adjacent teeth shift into empty spaces, tartar and calculus may build-up, leading to caries and periodontal problems. Cleaning may become difficult, and these spaces will harbour bacteria and food particles, resulting in several dental problems.

Self-esteem

Missing teeth and large spaces in teeth can make you hide your smile. Having a beautiful smile is everyone's dream. Treating these spaces will save you from oral diseases and enhance your smile. Many people avoid social situations and shy away from smiling, and nobody should have to do that. Your smile is your best asset!

To avoid long-term problems, it is crucial to consult your dentist early and get your gaps fixed. Your dentist may present you with many options, including veneers, fixed bridges, partial dentures, braces, Invisalign, implants for missing teeth, composite resins, etc. It all depends upon case to case basis and how exactly wide or narrow the gaps are.

Are all gaps alarming?

Spacing in young children's teeth should be ignored as they are normal physiological spaces. They are essential to accommodate large-sized permanent teeth. These spaces do not need any treatment. However, you should control the habits like thumb sucking in kids as they may lead to protruded and spaced teeth in the upper arch.