How to Fix Triangular Spaces Between Teeth

Last updated Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

Have you looked at the black triangular gaps between your teeth in the mirror wondering – “Why is my perfect smile eroding away?”

An attractive smile is one of the most magnetic features for 99.7% of people. But the only thing those triangular spaces in your teeth will attract is more gum disease and tooth decay.

It’s easy for food particles to get stuck there and hard to clean while brushing your teeth when that happens.

You’ll be surprised to know that nearly 70% of people over 20 years old have black triangles in their teeth.

Most of them don’t do anything to fix it thinking no one’s going to notice unless they really zoom into your teeth. Eventually, things get so bad that they’re always nervously hiding their teeth when they smile.

In this article, we’ll show you why these black triangles happen and how you can fix your teeth to reclaim your perfect smile.

Causes of Black Triangles

We’ve identified the four biggest causes of black triangles between your teeth:

• Receding gums – Your gum tissue is supposed to be a support system for your teeth. Thick and pink gum tissue is healthy, which creates a tight seal against germs invading your teeth. When this seal starts eroding because of gingivitis or periodontal disease, the triangular gaps between your teeth increase.
• Poor dental maintenance – The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body. However, your gum tissue is far more delicate. So, when you aggressively brush your teeth, you can damage this tissue and increase the black triangles in your teeth.
  It’s also possible that your dentist over-prepares a crown, which leads to gaps between your teeth.Aggressive treatments like scaling and root planning, and poor orthodontic care can also damage your gum tissue and increase the gaps between your teeth.
• Sensitive gum tissue – Thin and sensitive gum tissue can easily degrade over time even through routine dental hygiene and maintenance work. There’s a strong chance your gums won’t be able to restore themselves after you get a crown, dental implant, or surgery.
• Bone loss – You may experience bone loss in your mouth as your gum disease worsens. This will lead to an increase in black gaps between your teeth.

Fixing Black Triangles

Gum surgery is not a magic wand that can fix black triangles between your teeth. Your doctor and ceramist must collaborate closely if they want to close these spaces.

The dentist will first study the variations of shapes between your teeth and its roots to come up with a specific drilling design. A technician will then adjust the outlines of the dental repairs based on the dentist’s precise measurements.

Why pay for a complex and expensive procedure when you can get a simpler and more effective procedure done to fix black triangles? We’re talking about using conservative porcelain veneers.

Porcelain dental veneers are a simple cosmetic fix that helps mask the front of your teeth. Dentists generally place them across your upper front teeth in sets of 6-10 at a time. While crowns end up covering your whole tooth, veneers are designed to cover only the fronts and sides of each tooth.

Your porcelain veneers will cover unattractive gaps, discoloration, overlapping teeth, or jagged tooth edges.

The best part is you’ll receive this instant smile makeover in just one or two visits to your dentist.

There are two essential steps in the process of getting dental veneers to fix black triangles between your teeth:

• The dentist will adjust your enamel, collect dental impressions, and share this model with a lab.
• Your dentist will bond the customized porcelain veneers sent by the lab with your teeth.

Restoring Missing Tissue between Teeth

The bad news is that you can’t make your receding gum tissue grow back. The good news is you can definitely stop it before it worsens and keep it under control.

Here are a few steps you can take to achieve that:

• Topical antibiotics applied under your gums to treat gum disease
• Dental bonding using a tooth-colored composite resin to protect your exposed tooth root
• Using braces to align your teeth properly to correct your gum margin naturally
• Gum graft surgery using tissue from the roof of your mouth to fill in the missing gum tissue. During this surgery, a gum graft is used to replace your missing gum tissue. The graft usually is taken from the roof of your mouth but occasionally can come from sterilized human donor tissue.

Once the gum graft is in the proper position, your surgeon stitches it into place. There are several different types of gum grafting procedures. Your surgeon can help determine which one is right for your situation. Today’s gum grafting procedures are minimally invasive.

Surgery or No Surgery?

Gum graft surgery is the closest you can come to restoring your missing gum tissue. It’s a longer-lasting solution than the non-surgical options we shared, but it takes longer to recover. However, prevention is better than cure. A good oral hygiene routine should take care of both your teeth and gums with the same level of importance.

Healthy and stable gum tissue is the secret to a glorious smile without gaps in your teeth.

Caring for Gingival Biotypes

If your dentist told you that you have a thin gingival biotype, it simply means you have thin gum tissue. It means you have a greater chance of facing gum recession, bleeding, and inflammation compared to someone with thick gum tissue.

An experienced dentist knows how to adjust your treatment and recommend a gentle dental care routine to protect your gums.

Here’s a dental hygiene plan specifically for people with sensitive gum tissue to prevent black triangles in your teeth:

• Gently brushing your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day. You should mildly brush both rows of teeth and gums at a 45-degree angle to get rid of plaque without damaging any tissue.
• Flossing each tooth daily. Ensure you clean along the edges of your gums too. You can use a water flosser to do this too. Avoid any harsh jerks or dig deep into your gums while flossing. It’ll make your gums recede faster.
• Visit an experienced dentist regularly to get the right kind of care for your dental conditions and tips to protect yourself from any damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes black triangles between teeth?

Can black triangles be fixed with gum surgery?

How do porcelain veneers help fill black triangles?

Is it possible to restore missing tissue between teeth?

How can I prevent black triangles from forming?

What should I do if I notice black triangles between my teeth?