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Closing tooth gaps

Most often in children the lower molars and lateral upper incisors are not created. If it is found that a permanent tooth has not been created, the milk tooth is often still there. Unfortunately, experience shows that milk teeth usually fail at some point, even if the permanent tooth is not placed. That is why it makes sense to think about how the missing tooth should be replaced at an early stage: with a dental implant or alternatively with orthodontic gap closure? When closing the gap, the teeth behind the gap are moved forward by one tooth width with braces. This results in a closed row of teeth without any artificial tooth (implant).
Dental implants are not subsidized by statutory health insurances, even if permanent teeth are not in place. It is different with orthodontic gap closure. Up to the age of 18, the statutory health insurance companies (KIG) contribute to the costs of orthodontic treatment if they are not invested. All in all, closing the gap in adolescence is usually the cheaper alternative to dental implants.
If the milk tooth is lost in childhood or teenage years without a permanent tooth coming in, orthodontics is particularly useful as an alternative to implants. A dental implant can usually only be placed after the age of 18. For the patient, this means that he has to live with a tooth gap or temporary dentures for years. The unloaded jawbone in this area often recedes over time. This makes subsequent implantation more difficult and can lead to compromises in terms of aesthetics. With orthodontics as an alternative to implants, the definitive result is usually achieved well before the age of 18.

Lächeln professionell aussehende Frau

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  • Tooth shape and anterior tooth aesthetics: If an incisor is missing in the upper jaw and all teeth are moved forward by one tooth width to close the gap, at the end there is a canine instead of an incisor and a small molar instead of the canine, etc. Apart from the tooth shape Canine teeth also differ mostly in that  Color slightly from the incisors. They are usually a little darker. It is therefore very important to assess whether the shape and color of the affected teeth are generally suitable for closing the gap. If this is the case, the layperson often does not even notice in the end that a canine is at the cutting tooth site. The experienced dentist can often improve the result even further by making small aesthetic adjustments.
    When the bones and gums retreat over the course of a lifetime, an implant tooth behaves differently than its neighboring natural teeth. In the visible area (anterior tooth implant) this can negatively affect the aesthetics of the smile. If the basic requirements with regard to tooth shape and color are met, we therefore often advise our patients in the anterior region to use orthodontic gap closure as an alternative to dental implants.

  • Support of all teeth: It is important that at the end of the treatment all teeth have an opposing tooth and that there is good interlocking between the upper and lower jaw. If, for example, a tooth is not created in the lower jaw and there is also no wisdom tooth on this side, closing a gap in the lower jaw would mean that the last tooth in the upper jaw no longer has an opposing tooth. Orthodontics would not be a good alternative to implants here.

What do you have to pay attention to when closing a tooth gap? When is a tooth gap closure not an alternative to a dental implant?

How long does an orthodontic gap filling treatment take?

How long it takes to fill the gap with braces depends on many factors. Among other things, the size of the tooth gap plays a role. The smaller the gap, the faster the gap will be closed. As a rule of thumb, one can say that 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm gap closure per month is realistic.

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