Can I Close a 5mm Gap Between my Front Teeth? In How Much Time? (photo)

Your only real option here is to go through braces.   Anything else would be a major aesthetic compromise. Best of luck. 

You can close the gap and correct the over jet with Invisalign or veneers.  The removal of the frenum is very easy and heals quickly with a laser.

Hello, so looking at your pictures.  The muscle attachment is strong and low (called frenum).   The frenectomy was probably recommended because this constant pulling / contracting on the muscle caused diastema (space between teeth).   You can overcome these forces and close the space using Invisalign but you're going to have to wear a retainer- every night, in perpetuity.   Also, all throughout the day, your gap is going to want to open up (the forces are that strong), then all night the retainer will push it back.  This constant movement is not good long term IMO.  I would reconsider the frenectomy.  Second I would investigate if you're a candidate for a lingual bonded retainer on front two teeth.  Hope this helps!

I think you have done your research. Using invisalign to close the space is the right choice. However, I would caution you not to leave the frenulum attachment between #8 and #9, because the space will reoccur, after invisalign is complete. My suggestion is to remove this attachment to prevent relapse of your invisalign results. And the overjet is easily corrected with invisalign as well. This should produce some great results. Hopefully, you can post them once your treatment is complete. Hoping the best!

Can be done very quickly with braces or Invisalign in 3-6 months. Painless laser treatment will definitely help. Or 6 or more veneers in 3 weeks.

You can achieve your results with orthodontics but need to evaluate for frenectomy.  Retainer will be key factor after invisalign or braces as you wish to chose.

The answer is most certainly is most certainly that with orthodontics or cosmetic dentistry (veneering) you can close most of the space between your front teeth.  However with orthodontics, when you close that space you will find another space opening up on the other side of the tooth.   But between those two teeth your also have a huge frenum that is a combination of fibrous and elastic tissue, so after the teeth are moved to one another you will most likely find relapse, where the spaces come back to some extent.  Unfortunately, your frenum isn't just on the outside of your jaw bone, but actually goes through where the roots of the two teeth are, all the way to the other side.  So it isn't just a matter of snipping the frenum off with laser or a scalpel.  You would need to find a surgeon who can disect more of the frenum out so that closure of the two front teeth won't be blocked by the tissue.

Cosmetic dentistry with veneers is also a solution for your to continue, but with the space as large as it is you would either have to live with a small space between your front teeth or front teeth that are too wide, or if doing multiple teeth, teeth that angle more than normal towards each other.

I'm assuming you are very confused by now, but I have a solution of what might give you the very best outcome. 

I would recommend a combination of treatments, orthodontics, surgery of the frenum and porcelain veneers.  Work with the orthodontist (to move the teeth closer together) and oral surgeon or periodontist (to remove the frenum) first.  If you will do veneers the space will not have to be closed completely with braces or invisalign orthodontics.  When the big space is closed and the other spaces are more uniform in size, go to a cosmetic dentist and have porcelain veneers placed.  He may only need to place four veneers, but typically when there are large spaces or multiple spacing, six or even eight veneers might give you the best result.

Rest assured, there are solutions out there if you connect with the right dentists (cosmetic dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon) and get the combination of treatments I have recommended here.

5mm is an extremely large space to close and I think it certainly can be done and made to look very esthetic.  The biggest problem I see is long term stability where the teeth can hold their positions for 10 years or more and not just be subjected to a quick fix which I believe will not work in the long term.  I would recommend partial Invisalign treatment to at least close the gap down to a more manageable 2.5-3mm space, then use 6-8 veneers to achieve perfect balance and proportionality of the teeth.  I highly recommend cutting the small tendon, labial frenum, with a laser, which is pain free. It will help to stabilize the result.  An Invisalign retainer would also be required to wear at night to insure the result maintains its esthetics.  I believe this treatment can be accomplished in 6-8 months.

Yes it is possible to close this gap without surgery but the chance of it opening back up is great without removing this tissue and would require you to wear a retainer every night "religiously".  Invisalign is definitely possible as of course traditional braces.  Hint:  Get a Clincheck proposal from your Invisalign dentis and he can show you on the cmputer a 3d model of the changes and timing for your situation.  It will require some impressions, xrays and pictures.  Good luck!  You will love the changes.  I am having it done for my 3 mm space between the same teeth.  Bonding is an option if you don't close the space fully, but I would recommend trying to close the space then a little retaining wire can be put on the backs of those front teeth to keep them from separating.

The short answer is yes and it will take most likely over one year. The  surgery you are referring to is a labial frenectomy. Most people recommend this to make the closing of the gap more predictable and complete. Its hard to tell from the pictures if your frenum is very fribrous or low. You can certainly try without it and see if you are satisfied with the result.

I would tend to recommend braces over invisalign due to the size of the gap. Invisalign may not be as precise or as predictable in this case. Yes it will work, but I would not guarrantee anything.  You will need to treat both upper and lower.

Also, if you leave a 1mm space you can close this with bondings afterwards.

Hope this helps

Dr. T