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This is a question that we get asked all the time. Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of each treatment so you can decide which one suits you.

From your dentist's perspective, if your teeth are healthy and you're happy, then there's no need to close a gap between the teeth. It can can be an endearing feature and many people are happy to leave it be. However, we know this isn't always the case.

Options for Closing a Diastema (Gap in Teeth)

• Composite Veneers

The lightest and quickest option is to use composite, which is the same material used for making white fillings. This adds width to the teeth until the gap is closed. This is something that the dentist can perform easily and is favorable as it doesn't alter the existing tooth structure at all.

The drawback of using composite is that the material is not ideal for long term wear. Composite can be a perfect fix for small gaps, but for larger jobs there are other solutions.

• Porcelain Veneers

Using porcelain veneers we look at the overall picture. If there's a considerable gap between two teeth, then it may be necessary to make slight adjustments to three or four of the teeth surrounding it, so that the result appears natural. With porcelain veneers, a thin layer of porcelain is applied to the outside of the tooth, giving us total control over the shape and shade of the end result.

Our dental lab can prepare veneers to fit the tooth perfectly. Our technicians take time to add surface texture and small characteristics so that the final veneers are indistinguishable from natural teeth. This process allows us to craft details into the new teeth that are difficult for the dentist to add with composite.

With either of these options, adding width to only the front two teeth to close a gap can leave the proportions of the teeth out of balance. We pay a lot of attention to tooth proportions as a key element of creating natural looking smiles. An alteration to the front teeth should be harmonious with the smile as a whole, so its important not to become focused on closing the gap while ignoring the new shape of the teeth once they've filled it.

• Braces

Braces are ideal for repositioning teeth in a gentle and gradual way. If you're put off by the clear-bracket braces we offer, Invisalign can sometimes be suitable as well. However, the use of braces may not always be advised for closing gaps, since the space between teeth is often the result of a disparity between the size of the jaw and the size of the teeth . Where someone's teeth are too small for their mouth, moving them together may not deliver the cosmetic result that someone is looking for. In these cases we would advise that additional material, in the form of composite or porcelain veneers, would be needed to deliver the best result.

In some cases, the frenum (the small piece of tissue between the teeth) has grown into the gap. In this case your dentist might have to raise the level of the frenum to allow the teeth to fully close.

Digital Smile Design

In all cases, we advise a Digital Smile Design session as a preview of what the outcome will look like. This gives you the control to critique the planned changes and make sure that the option you're going for is the right one for you. We offer smile designs as a free tool for you to plan your new smile to fit you perfectly.