SDNY Blog

Some celebrities are known for the gaps in their front teeth (David Letterman, Lauren Hutton, Condoleeza Rice), and while there are people who consider it fashionable, many others with tooth gaps are self-conscious about their smiles. If you’re reluctant to smile because you feel that your diastema (the medical term for a space between your teeth) detracts from your appearance, our Manhattan cosmetic dentists (prosthodontists, periodontists and orthodontists) can close the gap

Treatment options include veneers, composite bonding, orthodontics or a combination of dental therapies. The size of the diastema, the positions of both the adjacent and opposing teeth (occlusion) and the condition of the teeth are all considered in determining the most desirable treatment.

When a space between teeth is relatively small, cosmetic bonding is often used to fill in the gap. To properly and effectively close larger gaps, porcelain veneers — or even dental crowns — may be required.

While cosmetic dentistry can close tooth gaps to make a smile more attractive, there may also be compelling medical reasons to treat a diastema.

When gum (periodontal) disease causes bone loss around teeth, they may drift out of position and affect the bite (occlusion), causing the teeth to move even further out of position. Our Manhattan cosmetic dentists ask our “gap” patients if they’ve always had a space between their teeth and if it has been increasing. A widening gap signals underlying problems. Treatment may include periodontal surgery, orthodontics and restorative/cosmetic procedures. There are times when a tooth — or teeth — may be lost and replaced with dental implants.

Some teeth that have migrated out of position can be easily repositioned by treating the underlying periodontal infection and adjusting the interference in the bite. Over time, this may allow the lips to push the teeth back into position.

Another reason to have diastemas treated is that they may act as food traps, which can cause both tooth decay and discomfort.

Q. What special education, training, skill, experience or certification is required for a dentist to call himself or herself a cosmetic dentist?

A. None

The fact is that the American Dental Association does not recognize cosmetic dentistry as a specialty. Actually, since standardization in training, levels of skill and extent of experience are almost nonexistent, any dentist, qualified or not, can claim to be a cosmetic dentist

As the Wall Street Journal has reported, “Cosmetic procedures, which typically are performed to improve the color and shape of teeth, are risky and can cause permanent damage to teeth, roots and gums if done incorrectly.”

The newspaper added that the latest trend in cosmetic dentistry was “fixing other dentists’ mistakes.”

So, what specialty should you look for when choosing a New York City cosmetic dentist? To begin with, you should know that the American Dental Association recognizes prosthodontists as the only genuine specialists in cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry, best able to restore optimum function and appearance to your teeth.

Prosthodontists are specialists in restoring and replacing teeth with dental implants, bridges, dentures and cosmetic/aesthetic restorations. They are required to have completed two or more years of continuous formal training beyond dental school in a university or hospital program approved by the ADA in order to receive their specialty certification.

Their “extensive training and experience provide prosthodontists with a special understanding of the dynamics of a smile, the preservation of a healthy mouth and the creation of tooth replacements,” notes the American Academy of Prosthodontists.

Specialized Dentistry of New York’s prosthodontists have earned their reputation as “the dentists who teach the dentists.” They teach at both the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and at the New York University College of Dentistry, they deliver lectures around the world and they’ve written textbooks and dozens of journal articles on aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry.