Will I need a procedure for the missing gum between my two front teeth? (photo)

Question

I'm 22 years old and I wore braces from ages 11-13. I starting wearing a retainer right after my braces were taken off, I currently wear it every night. In the past two weeks I've noticed that I am missing a very small piece of gum between my two front teeth. Will I need a surgery to fix this problem? I'm hoping that I don't need veneers or anything serious done to my teeth. Other than this, my teeth are perfectly straight and I have no other oral problems.

Elly Tehrani, DMD, MSD · Answer

Unfortunately , there is no predictable surgical procedure to regenerate this tissue Fillers ( same as fillers ysed for facial procedures)  can been used to plump up the tissue.   But this procedure needs to be repeated as the results are temporary. you can consult with your dentist to give you restorative options such as bonding or veneers to move up the contact between the teeth so it fills up the gap however, in my opinion this is an over treatment.

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

First of all, you do have gingivitis and that is probably why your space developed.  So, the first order for you is see your dentist, have your teeth professionally cleaned, and then start flossing and brushing daily.  This will help your gum recession from occuring in other areas of your mouth, but may not cause your gums to return to their normal height.  Unfortunately, surgical procedures to add gums around the papilla (where you are missing some gum tissue) is not very successful.  If it gets worse you may elect to have porcelain veneers or bonding to make your teeth wider in the area of the gum recession, thereby hiding the spaces (cosmetic dentists call this "black holes" or "black triangles").

Will I need a procedure for the missing gum between my two front teeth? (photo)

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Will I need a procedure for the missing gum between my two front teeth? (photo)

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