Dealing with a HUGE Tooth Gap

I am writing a bunch of dentists and a few orthodontists about an issue I have with my smile. I have a HUGE tooth gap. I think the dentist told me about 9mm in width. I am looking for options. I will tell you that the odds are against you as an orthodontist because I really don’t want braces. You’d have to do some convincing about why that is best. I was going to get snap-on smile and had already had all the diagnostics done and my dentist sent it to the company, but they said I am not a good candidate. So, I’m back to square one. My dentist is suggesting Lumineers, but they are pretty expensive so I’m looking for other options. What would you suggest if I came to your office?

Caden

Dear Caden,

Because my specialty is orthodontics, I reached out to a cosmetic dentist I know to make sure you get balanced advice here. He highly suggested you stay away from Lumineers for a couple of reasons. First, they’re usually marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists and your case is very advanced. The size of your tooth gap would be enough to fit another tooth in there. That is a very advanced case. One that I would suggest you go to an AACD accredited dentist for and they do not come cheap. They also rarely recommend Lumineers. That brings me to the second reason. Lumineers force dentists to use their lab to do the work, which is not known for producing beautiful results.

My suggestion is for your to close the gap using either Invisalign or Spark Aligners. I know you said you don’t want braces, but these are different. They use clear aligners to straighten your teeth that are invisible even at a conversational distance. You could repair your tooth gap without anyone even knowing you are wearing orthodontics.

I hope this helps. This blog is brought to you by Bee Cave Orthodontist Dr. Tostado.