Overlapping Front Teeth: What Your Dentist Can Do
When your front teeth overlap on one another, you can feel that your smile is not at its best. A cosmetic dentist can perform a variety of procedures to make your smile more even and aesthetically pleasing, based on the severity of your condition. Common cosmetic dental procedures for overlapping teeth include tooth reshaping, braces, and pulling an extra tooth. See how these procedures can benefit your smile.
Tooth reshaping
If you have a mild overlapping front tooth, you may just need a bit of sculpting, or tooth reshaping, to make them look more even and aligned. Your cosmetic dentist can use either a drill or a laser to finely chip away at the exposed enamel that is sticking out on your teeth to make them look more naturally shaped. If your enamel is weakened by the process, bonding can also be included in the procedure. A bonding agent can be placed on the affected tooth and then re-shaped to create a natural smile that is not susceptible to chipping or other damage.
Braces
For moderate or severe cases of overlapping teeth, your cosmetic dentist may suggest getting braces to slowly move your teeth so they have more room and return to their normal position. Crowding teeth often require braces in order to repair them. If traditional metal braces sound unappealing to you, ask your dentist about getting braces that fit behind your teeth (lingual braces) so they are not visibly noticed when you smile. If you only have a moderate condition, a mold of clear braces can be customized for your grin to gently pull your front teeth straight over several months.
Tooth removal
If your overlapping front teeth are caused by an extra tooth in your smile, then the offending tooth may need to be pulled in order to create more space for your front teeth to realign themselves. This procedure is often done in addition to either tooth reshaping (sculpting) or braces, since removing an extra tooth will not cause your teeth to straighten out on its own. Your dentist can talk to you about the combination of this procedure with others so you can know what kind of results to expect.
If you have overlapping front teeth, know that there are many procedures available to you to help remedy this issue. Talk to your cosmetic dentist to see what will work best for your smile, so you can feel confident in the way your teeth look.
