Have you ever noticed and gotten distracted by the little spaces between your teeth? You are not the only one who has that problem. Here, we will help you find answers to the “how to fix black triangles between teeth” problem. Having triangles in teeth is a common problem, but most people do not even notice it in their daily life hustle.
So, how can you fix black triangles between teeth? There are many different dental restoration options you have to fix black triangles between teeth, such as veneers, crowns, braces, dental bondings, etc. There are also some oral hygiene routine tips that you can prevent or fix the problem before it gets severe and noticeable. We will talk about all of them in detail in this article.
Let’s get ready to fix black triangles between teeth!
How to fix black triangles between teeth?
When it comes to fixing black triangles, you have various dental restoration options. Depending on the severity and the source of your problem, you can benefit from any of the treatments listed below.
- You can get veneers
- You can get Crowns
- You can try an orthodontic treatment
- Consider dental bonding
- Try hyaluronic acid treatments
- Consider a gum graft treatment
Most of the time the problem is seen when you have receding gums. Receding gums can be either directly fixed with some healing or grafting methods. Sometimes the problem is not your gums but your tooth shape. Interestingly some people have triangular teeth which cause their teeth to have little black spaces between them. These are mostly genetic problems and you can only fix them by going to a dentist.
Here are the most common treatments to fix black triangles between teeth.
You can get veneers
To fix black triangles between teeth and improve your teeth’ appearance, dental veneers are one of the quickest options you have. Veneers are placed over your teeth covering your original teeth like fake nails, but of course, they are much more substantial. The shape of veneers are specially made for your needs, and they will fix the tiny spaces between your teeth immediately after the restoration. There are ceramic or porcelain veneers that dentists usually recommend and use.
It is a big decision though, your dentist will tell you that, veneers are used life-long and need to be replaced in 10-15 years. On the other hand, the operation is so simple, and getting your veneers replaced would take no time. Veneers are fabricated uniquely and precisely to fit your teeth without leaving any gap between them, however, you still need to take good care of them.
After you get the veneers on, you still need to follow routine dental hygiene and keep brushing your teeth, flossing is also advantageous. When you do not follow an oral hygiene routine, you are likely to see black spaces between your teeth.
To learn more you can check our complete blog on veneers.
You can get crowns
Crowns are tooth-shaped cups placed over your entire tooth rather than just the front side like veneers. Getting crown cups over your teeth will solve your black space problem, but how? Before preparing your crowns, the dentist gets the required measurements of your teeth with a careful examination. After this process, they send the measurements to the fabrication and now you got your perfectly shaped crown.
They first shave your natural teeth to fit the crowns over them. After this procedure, they place the crown cups over your teeth with the sticking material. And that’s it! Now you got rid of those annoying little black spaces between your teeth. You can get crowns on your every tooth and it is durable.
This is a reliable and more permanent solution than veneers, although they might cost you a little bit more.
You can try an orthodontic treatment
Some people know some do not, but orthodontic treatment means getting braces to align your teeth. Dentists can use braces to fix your black triangle problem. They first make a plan to foresee your teeth’ movements with the braces and then place it on your teeth according to that plan. You may get either fixed or removable orthodontic treatment. Fixed treatments are mostly used if huge changes are required on your teeth. A removable one on the other hand used if you need limited change.
You can benefit from fixed or removable treatments if you want to eliminate black spaces between your teeth. There is this problem with the fixed ones though. When you use fixed braces for major changes they can also cause your teeth to have disturbing spaces between them. Don’t worry if you think you have this problem then your solution is Invisalign.
Dentists use Invisalign to shift your teeth in a limited range. They are removable plastic covers that you put on your teeth and use daily. They will not change the position of your teeth entirely but fix your lightly misaligned teeth and the black triangles between them.
Consider dental bonding
Dental bonding is one of the quickest ways to fix black triangles between teeth. It is basically adding a material that sticks to your teeth, composite resin. That is why dental bonding is also called composite resin bonding. The material they use is so durable. In different studies, it was proven that composite resins might last roughly 7 years or more. (1)
Before applying it, they first prepare your teeth to make sure the resin will attach firmly. Your teeth need to be a little bit bumpy on the edges, and they also coat a liquid material over them. These steps are necessary to make sure the composite material will stick to your teeth.
After that, the composite material is applied to your teeth, and they give the required shape to ensure your black triangles are covered. Hardening the material with a special light is the next step. And finally, if necessary, they polish your teeth to give them a natural look.
The Bioclear Matrix System
The Bioclear Matrix System is another method of bonding your teeth. This process gives you a better-shaped tooth surface than classic dental bonding and will solve your dark triangle problem. To achieve that precision dentists use a plastic wrap around your tooth and fill the bonding material within it. That allows them to give you the desired tooth surface with millimetric accuracy.
Try hyaluronic Acid treatments
So, if you are asking how to fix black triangles between teeth as a result of retracted gums, hyaluronic acid treatment is one of the options you have. This treatment is rather new and still in the developmental stage for dentistry, but beneficial effects have been observed so far. (2)
When your gum tissues are infected and got retracted from the normal gum line, you might have black triangles between your teeth. Hyaluronic acid treatment is a gel application over your receding gums, and so far, it only worked on less severe cases. After the treatment, your gums will get back to their original gum line position with increased volume, and you will get rid of the black spaces between your teeth.
If your gums are severely damaged, then you might think about getting some other options we will mention below.
Consider a gum graft treatment
As a result of gum diseases and bone loss, your teeth might be receded. This problem occurs as a result of infected, or traumatized tissue between your gums and teeth called the papilla. Gum graft treatment is an extensive treatment for receding or thinned gums. The black triangles between your teeth might appear as a result of these problems. With gum graft treatment they basically fill your receded or thinned gums with a tissue whether collected from your palate or from the tissue bank.
First, they examine the severity of your gums and decide on how much tissue is necessary in which place. Then they prepare you for the operation. During the surgery, they give you local anesthesia and you feel nothing while they are grafting on your gums. They prepare your gums for the grafting by cutting small pockets. Then they get the tissue from the roof of your mouth. The collected tissue is sutured on your gums and it is done.
After the surgery, there is a healing period in which your gums might be swollen for a while, but once you finished with all the procedures you will gain your perfect smile without the small gaps between teeth.
Pocket Reduction Surgery
Another method to fix your gum recession problems is pocket reduction surgery. Instead of adding gum tissues over your gums, they simply clean your gums from plaque and tartar formations and then suture it firmly enclosing the little pockets between your teeth and gums. These tiny spaces might also give you the visual of having black triangles between your teeth. After pocket reduction surgery, dentists both fix the black triangles between teeth and give you protection against bacteria accumulation in those spaces.
Bone grafting
If you have severe periodontal disease, you might also lose some of the bone tissue beneath your gums that hold your teeth together. Loss of bone can be another reason why your natural teeth have black spaces between them. Bone grafts will solve your problem. They are placed beneath your gum to support your tooth structure. After you get the bone grafting surgery, you will have less disturbing space between your teeth.
How to fix black triangles between teeth by yourself
Having black triangles between teeth does not require going to a dentist and getting it fixed every time. If you have tiny spaces that are hardly noticeable, you can actually fix them by yourself only by following some rules. If that occurs as a receding gums problem, you can try changing your dental routine, following some extra rules, and benefiting from a healthy diet. These will solve your problem, but how? Here is how to fix black triangles between teeth by yourself.
Be careful about your oral hygiene
A regular oral hygiene is an inevitable part of our lives, and you can actually fix or prevent black triangles just by following good oral hygiene. You must be wondering how to fix black triangles between teeth by yourself. The secret beneath lay in your gums. If you are brushing your teeth hard and flossing with vigorous movements, your gums will recede. When your gums recede, tiny spaces might be left behind, which is what we are trying to avoid. We prepared a quick checklist for you to make sure you are doing everything correctly for your dental health:
- Brush your teeth daily and a minimum of twice a day to keep them healthy and intact. Poor oral hygiene habits might lead to tooth decay and plaque accumulation, eventually receding gums and black triangles between your teeth.
- The way you move your brush is important. While moving your brush up and down on your front teeth, make sure you get the bacteria out of your teeth, not toward your gums, to prevent gum diseases.
- Do not brush your teeth vigorously as it can make your gums recede. That is to say, the same thing goes for dental flossing too.
- Using a soft-bristled toothbrush will also improve your oral hygiene and reduce the chances of having receding gums.
- Routine dental check-ups will always protect your pearly whites and give you the smile you want without the black triangles between them.
Care about your diet
The foods you eat or the beverages you drink might increase or decrease your chances of having black spaces between your teeth. Having a proper diet will definitely make your gums healthy and improve your general oral health.
In a study investigating gum health and diet, it is shown that there is a direct relation. (3) Especially people who take their diet seriously and follow a rich nutritional diet showed less gum recession than those who do not.
What are the healthy foods you can benefit from then? The nutrition rich in calcium, vitamins, and minerals will improve your general oral health. Consequently one of the ways you can prevent those tiny black triangles between your teeth is by paying attention to your teeth. Always keep away from acidic beverages and even if you drink make sure you rinse your mouth.
As Dentfix, we care about your dental health and wish you wonderful smiles with your pearly whites.
References:
(1) Chan KHS, Mai Y, Kim H, Tong KCT, Ng D, Hsiao JCM. Review: Resin Composite Filling. Materials (Basel). 2010;3(2):1228-1243. Published 2010 Feb 19. doi:10.3390/ma3021228 Link
(2) Dahiya P, Kamal R. Hyaluronic Acid: a boon in periodontal therapy. N Am J Med Sci. 2013;5(5):309-315. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.112473 Link
(3) Santonocito S, Polizzi A, Palazzo G, Indelicato F, Isola G. Dietary Factors Affecting the Prevalence and Impact of Periodontal Disease. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. 2021;13:283-292. Published 2021 Jul 9. doi:10.2147/CCIDE.S288137 Link
