Our patients often approach us asking how to fix the dreaded black triangles between their teeth. At our dental office in Hamden, CT, our experience has been that about one third of all adults have these unsightly black triangles. (This is consistent with estimates in published research.)
For some of our patients, the black triangles between their teeth drastically impact their self-confidence. One of our patients, for example, avoids fully smiling and when he does smile, he places his tongue behind his teeth to camouflage the black triangle between his front teeth.
Fortunately, there are a range of options for correcting black triangles – porcelain veneers usually provide the most drastic cosmetic improvement, but many of our patients opt for less costly and less invasive bonding, which can provide significant improvement in only one hour!
What Causes Black Triangles?
“Black Triangle” is a term our patients commonly use to refer to an open gingival embrasure. These embrasures, besides raising cosmetic concerns for our patients, can also lead to functional problems, including:
- Increased risk of decay because food can become trapped there.
- Speech issues caused by air escaping through the gap(s).
- Ejecting saliva when speaking (spitting), which is something our patients complain about quite often.
If your black triangles aren’t causing you any problems cosmetically or functionally, then there is no need for treatment! Our dental office is very laid back and we never push treatment on patients – we believe that all dental treatment is an elective choice to be made by our patients. Still, we have helped many patients who do have concerns about their black triangles achieve wonderful results with porcelain veneers, bonding or ceramic crowns.
Please contact us any time if you would like a free consultation with Dr. Patel!