Crowns, Bridges, Dentures, Implants

Bonding teeth

01/28/2008 11:00AM

Question:

I had braces when I was younger and I had to have my bicuspids pulled for the treatment. My teeth never fully closed up on one side of my mouth and I was curious if bonding is a good way to go. My biucspids is slanted towards the back of my mouth and it seems that a lot of my gum is showing between that tooth and the canine tooth. Can you use bonding to make the root appear bigger at the top of my smile. Thanks for your help.

Answer:

If the space is not too large, a white filling may work. For a larger space, you may need a crown or two crowns to close the space. However, if the space is too large, the crowns would be too bulbous and become difficult to keep clean. Sometimes splitting the space between two teeth with two crowns helps keep the shape of the crowns easier to keep clean. I would recommend clinical evaluation by a prosthodontist.

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Response by:

Nancy L. Clelland, DMD, MSD
Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry
Section of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University