Straightening Teeth

Typical costs:

• Also called teeth gap bands, teeth effect bands cost anywhere from $4 -$30 for 50-100. These non-latex rubber bands are slipped over the teeth overnight to draw the teeth together. However, some dentists warn that closing one gap may open two new gaps on each side, and that the bands could pull the teeth crooked or loosen a tooth from its socket, causing long-term problems.
• Cosmetic dental bonding (basically white fillings using a tooth-colored plastic resin on each adjacent tooth to fill the gap) averages $300 -$800 per tooth, but can be as low as $100 -$200 or as high as $800 -$1,000per tooth depending on complexity, the dentist's training, and local rates Concealing a gap would usually require bonding two teeth. Bonding done for cosmetic reasons is generally not covered by insurance.
• A small gap can be camouflaged using dental veneers, custom-made, wafer-thin tooth-colored shells. Traditional porcelain veneers require removing some of the tooth enamel, and cost $500 -$1,300 per tooth; the extremely thin Lumineers? brand usually doesn't require shaving tooth enamel, and costs around $700 -$1,300 a tooth. So having a dentist install veneers on two front teeth to close a gap could run $1,000 -$2,600. Veneers are rarely covered by dental insurance.
• If the teeth with the gap have cavities or other damage, they can be covered with dental crowns designed to also fill the gap. Crowns can run $500 -$3,000 per tooth depending on materials, or $1,000 -$6,000 for crowns on two front teeth. If a crown is needed for medical reasons, insurance may cover some of the cost but often crowns are not covered by insurance.
• If the only problem is the gap, partial braces (also called limited orthodontics) on only the six top front teeth can be used to close the gap at an average cost of $2,000-$3,000. If other problems need correcting, traditional full braces can run $5,400 -$7,600or more. For an extremely small gap, an orthodontist might be able to use a retainer to fix the problem at a cost of $500-$1,000, depending on the complexity and length of treatment. Many dental insurance plans cover orthodontics up to age 18, but not for adults.
• An overlarge frenum (the membrane attaching the cheeks to the jaw and gums) can cause a gap. A labial frenectomy is a fairly simple procedure that runs $250 -$1,200 depending on your location and the size and position of the frenum, but can cost less in some regions and more if other procedures (such as gum repair) are included. Truveo.com posts a video of a labial frenectomy procedure. A frenectomy will not close a gap but will prevent it from occurring again, and is usually performed to remove excess tissue after a gap is closed. Generally insurance doesn't cover a frenectomy.

• Often the dental procedures (cosmetic bonding, veneers, crowns or a frenectomy) will also have separate fees for an initial cleaning and exam (65 -$102) and X-rays ($13-$135).

You can but I do not suggest it, 2 times daily is enough, after breakfast and before bed. But if you eat something sugary, say, Cake, it can help rid away the cavity-makers. There are 2 risks when brushing your teeth too often. The first is that the teeth enamel (the teeth coating layer) might wear out with too many brushing. The second issue is generating pressure on the gums, which weakens them and might cause gingivitis in some (rare)cases.

I brush my teeth 2 times a day. Once in the morning and Once before I go to bed. Many people say to brush your teeth after every meal, but that's too hard to remember! haha XD

because some people have differently structured and built teeth.

my teeth are fine, but i do know some people who have had previous problems with there teeth because they remain yellow or look like they have not been brushed, even if you do brush them.

the solution is obvious if you dont brush your teeth and they're yellow, brush them.

But if you do, you may require a teeth-whitening session. It really does help,

or maybe just a dentist-recommended toothpaste/mouthwash.

To fix the front gap between your central incisor teeth, you can either use:

1 - Use Teeth Effect Bands

2 - Bonding (white fillings).

3 - Porcelain veneers.

4 - Orthodontistry with braces.

5 - Invisible orthodontistry (Invisalign).

Gaps in Front Teeth:

To fix the gap between my front teeth I went to an orthodontist who put a partial brace on my top teeth. After my teeth moved and the braces were removed he glued a small wire to the back of my front teeth to make sure they don't move again. I too had a missing tooth but did not want a plate so the dentist put a crown on the teeth on each side of the missing tooth and cantilevered the crown for the missing tooth.So it is anchored in the space by the teeth on either side but there is no plate.

I have a gap between my two front teeth however, have opted to not get it fixed. I have found two options: 1) I have a small piece of skin in between the two front teeth and in order for me to get braces I would need to first have that skin removed and then have braces on for a very long time. With braces there is no guarantee that the gap would not come back later on. 2) The second option is to have cosmetic fixes. They can add on to the two front teeth to fill in the gap (My friend had this done and it looked great, you would've never known she had a gap) I believe there is another way to fix the gap also however, I am not sure what that is. If you are interested in getting your gap closed I would suggest speaking with a cosmetic dentist. I don't believe the cost is much more and may even be less than braces. Not to mention it would be done in a day instead of 4 years.

My personal experience: I had a significant but not exceeding large gap in my teeth as a child. It is a genetic trait in my family. Because my mother has always been bothered by hers... She arranged for me to have the "webbing" between the upper lip and gums, which is a muscle, mostly removed. The surgeon had to open up the gums to remove the muscle attachment from the bone (mandible). This procedure took only a few minutes and was not unbearably painful. There were a few stitches. For me the most unpleasant part was the stuff they put over the stitches, which resembled cast plaster. I had this procedure when I was about seven years old. I am now 28 and couldn't be any happier with my front teeth now.

I had a gap between my two front teeth and then found a product called "Teeth Effect Bands" that you place around the teeth with a gap. After wearing the bands for a few days my gap is gone. You can buy them on Ebay. * There is a web between the front lip and the front teeth that's called the Frenum (fraynum). Sometimes it grows too thick and strong and pulls the two central teeth apart. Your dentist may want to clip this and correct the problem. Simple! * You could use a product called Invisilign that is like clear plastic trays that you wear in your mouth. They are removable for approximately 9-15 months. To find them use the Google search form to the right and type in the word "Invisilign."

My friend Molly had a gap between her front teeth. She had braces put on them for only two months, which had a rubber band threaded between the brackets and a curving wire in between.

I used to have a gap between my two front teeth. My dentist used bonding material between them and then made a new "line" to separate them. (it was not a very large gap though) I had this done when I was in high school and am now 33. It has never needed to be redone.

I am 56 years young and have braces and I am glad I decided to go this way. I've had them for a year now and have one more year to go. After the braces are removed I will have permanent retainers put in so that the gap will not reopen. My once considerably wide gap between my two front teeth is almost gone. I will need to have the frenum (fraynum) clipped to complete the process, but the difference now is quite noticeable. You have to look hard to see the small gap that is there now. I have one more year, my orthodontist says, to wear the braces. They have become second nature to me. A while back when my grandson stared at me and asked, "Grannie did your tooth fall out?" I knew I had to do something. And when people kept looking in my mouth instead of in my eyes when I talked with them face-to-face it was embarrassing and hurtful to me. When I was younger and had all my teeth the gap was not that wide; but I lost a top tooth and did not have it replaced which made the front gap widen over time as well as creating spaces between my other teeth. I went to a certified orthodontists to have my teeth fixed. I would not try do-it-yourself techniques because it may do damage to my teeth (i.e. roots). Well, that's it. Next year I won't be wondering how to fix the gap between my front teeth because I won't have a gap! Braces aren't that bad. Expensive? Maybe? But the question one must ask one's self is "Am I worth it?"

I had a huge gap in my two front teeth. Ask your dentist at your next visit for tooth rubber bands to put on your two front teeth. It does hurt a little, but they are inexpensive. I wore mine at night, at home, and at school because they were virtually invisible. The gaps go away quickly! Your teeth will be straight in no time!

I don't think you should mess with your teeth because it could pull down on them and cause them to come out. Let a dentist tell you what's good. I know a lot of people don't have money, but think of how much more money it will cost if you mess around with your teeth and you make them worse! If you have questions, go to a dentist!

I had thought about having my gums clipped, apparently this web which causes the gap is from childhood and its there to keep the teeth from overlapping as they grow. It should automatically disappear once the second set have finished growing but in some cases doesn't. It's interesting that it seems from other answers that the web appears to grow back after clipping - there must be cells there that replicate and the clipping doesn't go deep enough to get rid of them all - this must be what keeps forcing the gums out again (this is only speculating but that seems a logical reason - perhaps they will come up with something that will kill them off totally in the next 10 years!)

I use teeth bands when I feel that my gap is beginning to get too big again. (My Gap now varies from 5mm to 2.5mm - if I don't use them the gap opens up again) You can stop and start using them whenever YOU want to. If you don't like the way your teeth are aligning you can just stop. I had also thought about cosmetic dentistry as a solution to the gap - but I asked the dentist and he said it would only last about 15 years - after that it starts crumbling ... so I still pondering that option.

Just thought I'd share my experiences with those Teeth Effects bands. I have a moderate sized gap in my top front teeth and of course wanted to close it to improve my looks (got tired of hearing I look like the MAD magazine kid). I bought the teeth bands. At first it didn't seem like they worked, so I went overboard; putting four of them on my teeth at a time. But within a month, my gap did actually close. As a result, there were half-sized gaps on either side of my front teeth, and the gums around my front teeth kind of hurt and were sensitive. Nevertheless, it seemed well worth it. Once closed, I tried not wearing the bands, but the gap fully reappeared within a week or two. So, I continued wearing them for about 6 months. Every time I tried to take them off, the same thing would happen. So, in my experience, THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION. Even when I had them on for months at a shot, my teeth still just went back to normal when I stopped. It makes sense if you consider how makeshift and unprofessional this really is. BUT, if you just want to shape up your smile for special occasions or something I'd say go for it. Just don't expect an everlasting miracle. Also, I'm sure the fact that my gums didn't feel so great isn't a good sign. If you have access, consult a dental expert first. Side note - The bands seem to be meant for some industrial or medical use, as they are just small elastic like bands in a bag by some random company (not Teeth Gap). It is probably a safe bet that if you can get these from somewhere else, it would be a lot cheaper. I mean come on; 20 bucks for a bag of little elastic bands?? These things work, but only if you're willing to shell out the money. I personally have stopped using them. For now I've just accepted my gap.

I had a gap my entire life - until yesterday. When I was in 8th grade I had braces put on my teeth to fix many things, including closing the large gap that seems to run in my family. Of course, after the braces came off, the gap returned, but only about half the size it was so it was still a major improvement. My dentist told me that due to that piece of skin between my two front teeth, they could not be pushed closer together. He said some people choose to get that skin cut, but he did not recommend that. So, I've lived with it ever since. I'm in my mid-thirties now. For the past 2 years I've been seeing a new dentist. A couple months ago I was in for a routine cleaning and made the comment that I was unhappy about the gap I still had. I was told that it could easily be fixed and so I talked to my dentist about options. He told me the best way would be to have it filled. And yesterday I had it done, and it's awesome! I highly recommend this procedure. It only took half an hour and it was less uncomfortable than a cleaning. I didn't even need to be numb for it. And it looks amazing - perfect! I thought about using those bands, but didn't want to deal with all that hassle for a non-permanent result. This was an ideal solution. I'm not sure this would work for a very large gap, but it was the right choice for me. I have been self conscious about this for my entire life and now I have the smile I've always dreamed of! From a distance, people can't even tell I've had anything done. But it makes a huge difference to me. Now I'm smiling with confidence and I don't have to keep pushing my tongue up behind my two front teeth when I smile for pictures. (Although doing that anyway makes the skin on your neck look tighter, FYI.) I agree that sometimes a gap can give a person character. But I always felt like mine was half-way fixed. It wasn't really big enough to notice from a distance, but face to face, it was noticeable. Or at least, I felt it detracted from my appearance. So if you're bothered by your gap, please discuss this procedure with a dentist. Yes, it's expensive, about $320, but my insurance paid for most of it since they're actually classified as fillings. If your gap has bothered you the way mine did, it's totally worth the money! On a side note, my mom finally had her gap fixed too. She got braces when she turned 50 and her smile is dazzling!

I had a large (5mm) gap between my front teeth since my permanent teeth erupted. I always felt extremely self-conscious about it. I would regularly ask my various dentists over the years what could be done, but they never really had an answer. They would always mention veneers, but this is really only a suitable solution for someone with a small gap (say 2mm). I got impatient with my last dentist and somewhat reluctantly he referred me to an orthodontist. I was 40 years old. One year later, the gap is completely closed. For some reason, I always thought braces were for kids, and just for crooked teeth. I didn't realize how much they can move teeth around! And now that I have braces, I can tell you that it was the best decision I ever made. Not only can you close the gap, you can fix up your bite (including an overbite), it can broaden your arch (and therefore your smile), it gives you better spacing of your teeth (which helps you clean them) ... oh, and of course nice straight level teeth! In short, my advice is: don't just go to a dentist. Get a consult with an orthodontist and weight up your options. Veneers and bonding are a quick fix, but braces are the Rolls Royce option. Oh, I should also mention I had a frenectomy just before the braces went on (that's the surgery to cut that band of tissue everyone keeps mentioning). Forget teeth bands - get braces if you can afford them.