You have a patient who comes in with a gap between their teeth, or perhaps they present with flared anteriors. They want a straight, beautiful smile, but before you fit them with an oral appliance to close the space, you need to determine its cause.

If the space is a result of bad habits or disease, additional treatment will be required to ensure that the issues don’t simply return.

Bad Habits

Two of the most common causes of flared anteriors are tongue thrusting and bruxism (teeth grinding) at night. In the case of tongue thrusting, closing the space won’t do the patient any good until they correct their bad habit. As soon as their smile is straightened, the tongue thrusting will begin pushing the teeth back out again.

Bruxism may cause damage to teeth that needs to be addressed before straightening can be attempted.

Disease

Periodontal disease can also cause flared anteriors. If you find indications of disease, you’ll need to complete periodontal therapy and ensure that your patient’s mouth is healthy before gathering flared teeth.

When it is time to work on closing spaces, take a look at all the space closing oral devices offered by Space Maintainers Laboratories.