Aesthetic treatment for partly yellow teeth/canines and small gaps between teeth. Potential bruxism? (photos)

Question

I am looking for suggestions for potential aesthetic treatments for my partly yellow teeth (with a white tip for whatever reason, mainly the canines) and the small gaps between teeth. (Between incisors, about 1mm) I don't drink red wine and coffee, nor do I smoke. I was told, looking at the canines, this seems to be a case of bruxism (not sure though! And I am not aware of any teeth clenching). Can something be done here to fill the "black triangles"?

Kourosh Maddahi, DDS · Answer

Hi:There are two options in order to fill the gap and the black triangles.  First option is bonding.  The advantage of bonding is very little tooth structure is removed and it is a relatively inexpensive procedure.  The disadvantage is it can chip and discolor over time.Second option is porcelain veneer.  The advantage of porcelain veneer is that it is a much stronger material and it is not susceptible to staining like bonding.  The disadvantage is that part of the tooth structure is removed in order to not make the tooth too thick once the veneer is cemented on the surface of the tooth.Best,Dr, Maddahi

Joseph Proscia, DDS · Answer

You have two options based on your budget.  The first is to whiten your teeth and have some composite placed to fill in the gaps.  The second is to place crowns.  Obviously the crowns are more expensive but you dont have to worry about the color changing or composite popping off.

Aesthetic treatment for partly yellow teeth/canines and small gaps between teeth. Potential bruxism? (photos)

Answers (2)