Why Having Gap Teeth Is A Good Thing

Anytime you walk along Kenyan streets, you are likely to meet someone; be it a man or a woman, with a gap in their teeth anytime they smile.

Most people are born with them, especially the two front teeth. These gaps can be a simple aesthetic difference or a cause of dental problems.

The technical term for this is diastema, which refers to one gap or diastemata for multiple gaps in reference to gaps between your teeth.

The gaps can be anywhere in your mouth, but they most commonly occur between the upper two incisors, that is, your upper two front teeth.

A woman with gap teeth talking on the phone. /EXODUS DENTAL

Diastema usually doesn’t have a negative impact on your oral health. However, in some cases, it could be a symptom of gum disease.

Who does diastema affect?

Diastema affects both children and adults. The condition is more common in children, and gaps between their teeth may close once their permanent (adult) teeth come in.

Midline diastema (when there’s a gap between the two upper front teeth) is more common among certain populations. For example, people who are Black are more likely to have diastema compared to people who are white people or of Asian descent.

Diastema is a common occurrence, and most healthcare providers view it as a variation of normal dental development.

Viral Tea takes a look at why having a gap in between your teeth is a good sign:

Gaps are hereditary

According to WebMD, whilst there are many reasons that you might develop a gap between your teeth, some gaps and tooth alignment issues are genetic in origin.

Gaps are hereditary thus if both your parents had a gap, there is a strong chance you will have one too.

Standard Of Beauty

Standards of beauty vary significantly around the world. While a gap between the front teeth is not a typical standard of beauty in the United States, it is in other countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria and even Kenya.

As a matter of fact, one is automatically considered beautiful or handsome if they have gaps in between their teeth. It is even said that women with gap teeth fetch a higher dowry.

In these cultures, a gap between the front teeth is often considered a sign of beauty and attractiveness, leading some people to even widen their gaps.

Gaps Between Teeth Becoming Fashion Trends

For many people, a gap between their front teeth is not a problem, but rather something that makes them unique.

A number of celebrities, including Uzo Oduba, Elton John, and Eddie Murphy have embraced the gap between their teeth and made it a part of their signature look.

This, in combination with shifting beauty trends, could even have contributed to the success of their careers. 

Treatments available for ‘Gap Between the Teeth’

Teeth Effect Bands

Teeth effect bands perform their job by wrapping around the teeth which are having the gap between them. There is a stretching ability in the band and as soon as it is placed on the teeth it stretches but the objective of the band is to stay in the natural state and away from being stretched and because of that, teeth are pulled together towards each other which reduces the gap.

The advantage of using teeth effect bands is affordability and there is no requirement of going to the dentist.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are very thin shells, actually just like fake nails, made of porcelain and they are placed on both tops and front of the teeth.

The thinness of porcelain veneers allows light to pass through and they can easily take the natural colour of the teeth under them. They are durable and strong and no one can see if they are on your teeth.

Bonding

There is a three-step procedure involved in Bonding. The first step consists of a mild acid which is applied on the front of the teeth and after that the plastic bonding material is placed and sculptured according to the shape of the teeth.

The last involves the use of high-density light which hardens the material.

Orthodontics / Braces

Braces or orthodontics can be two-bit painful processes but it has always proved to be very effective. There are small brackets used in orthodontics and the front of teeth is bonded with them.

After this, wires of different sizes are used to connect the brackets so that the teeth are moveable and gaps can be closed. The only advantage of braces is no requirement for any tooth reduction.

Crowns

Crowns are also very commonly used solutions for closing gap teeth. They can be made of either metal or porcelain or both of them together.

They are known as the best solution in case of broken teeth, especially where protection and support are a requirement.

If the gaps between your teeth are extremely wide, crowns can prove to be a very appropriate solution. Crowns are very strong and several materials can be used to fabricate them.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson with gap teeth. /ESSENCE MAGAZINE