You expect a beautiful smile with beautiful teeth from orthodontic treatment. But, What to do if you have gaps in teeth after braces?
If you have small gaps between teeth after braces, the orthodontist may use retainers to fix them. If you have midline diastema or a gap in front teeth, you can also get a dental veneer or dental bonding. However, if the gaps are big or in between many teeth, you may need braces or clear aligners such as Invisalign to close all the spaces.
But, you may wonder, “Can braces cause gaps in teeth?”
Braces don’t give you gaps in teeth. Even if you might have some gaps during treatment, they will be closed at the end of treatment. However, you can have teeth gaps months or years after braces come off because of not wearing the retainer regularly, or getting braces off early.
It may also occur when you get braces treatment even if it wasn’t indicated for your case.
Now, let’s know in detail about the causes of tooth gaps after braces and how to fix them at home termporarily.
Site of gaps in teeth after braces removed
Take a look at the sites of teeth where you have gaps after getting off braces:
1. The gap persists after tooth removal for braces
Braces treatment is required to create gaps to move teeth in certain detection. This is necessary to correct the bite and align the tooth.
Let’s say you have seven cars in your garage and they are messy. You intend to decorate them properly. However, the garage is not large enough. So, what do you do?
You have to exclude a car. Only then you can arrange other cars nicely. The same thing happens during orthodontic treatment.
In most cases, your tooth is misaligned because of a lack of space in the jaw. So, it’s necessary to extract two or more teeth for perfect alignment.
Usually, after the end of the braces treatment, all gaps get closed. If there are still a few gaps in teeth, a retainer can fix them.
Rarely, a mild gap may persist after the removal of braces due to incomplete treatment.
Sometimes, a mild gap may not be corrected for other factors like closing the gap may cause other teeth to become misaligned. However, it can be corrected later.
Check my other article and when braces can close gaps and compare it with your case.
2. Space that wasn’t present before treatment
You may be shocked when you see there are gaps between teeth after getting braces that weren’t present before treatment.
Moreover, you may wonder more when you don’t have any tooth extracted for treatment and say, “My braces are giving me a gap in my front teeth.”
You may develop gaps between teeth during orthodontic treatment to realign teeth properly and make them straight. The gap will continue to close as you move toward the end of treatment.
When your orthodontist will remove the braces, you will find no gaps. So, you don’t have to get worried.
An orthodontist does that to give you the best look and fulfill your expectations. However, rarely, you may have mild gaps that you can fix later.
3. Gaps persist even after gap correction treatment
Generalized spacing is what orthodontists refer to when there are gaps between nearly all of the teeth. In this instance, patients seek the help of an orthodontist to close their dental gaps.
Braces are able to entirely fix it. It’s unusual if you still have gap teeth after getting braces. This is not what should be happening.
If you still have the spacing after the removal of braces, it’s due to not wearing a retainer correctly after the braces are off.
Teeth have a tendency to return to their previous position even after braces treatment. So, we have to use a retainer to prevent this from happening.
When you fail to maintain the retainer, you end up reopening the space.
4. Gap in teeth years after braces
You may have gaps between teeth a few years after getting braces off because of the relapse tendency of certain cases like a rotated tooth, not wearing a retainer for a required duration after removal of braces or severe cases in which braces aren’t recommended like a skeletal malocclusion.
Relapse or return of the same problem is part of orthodontic treatment. In severe cases, this may happen sometimes, but not very common.
5. A gap between front teeth after braces
It might be a bad experience if you have a gap in the middle of your teeth after the removal of braces. You look bad with that. So, you must ask, “Why is a gap forming in my front teeth after braces?”
It may happen when you have spacing between front teeth before or during the treatment and you don’t wear retainer braces routinely. Besides, if you had an abnormal labial frenum, you would have more chance of this spacing.
This is the case when you have spaced front teeth because of thick and extended gum tissue between the teeth.
Your orthodontist may cut the tissue to close the space. If it’s not cut, space becomes reopened even after treatment. Normally, a licensed orthodontist cuts it during the braces treatment.
So, there is less chance of having the issue. However, you may have to face the situation like a mild reopening of the space sometimes.
6. A gap in back teeth or between molars after braces
After removal of the braces, a gap may persist in the between back teeth or behind the last molar tooth.
This may happen in the case of the extraction of wisdom teeth for Orthodontic treatment. Sometimes, it may happen as a result of premolar or molar teeth extraction.
You should become worried about that until it causes any functional problems like chewing problems or food getting stuck into the gap. It doesn’t cause any esthetic problems.
7. Dark triangle gaps in gums after braces
You could occasionally observe black triangle gaps between teeth close to the gum line after having your crooked teeth straightened.
We may think that your orthodontic is responsible for that. But, the reality is completely different.
In many people, the triangle gaps are also present even though they have straightened teeth.
This can be a result of the shape of the teeth, gum disease, or the recession of gums with age.
But, you may ask, you don’t have the problem before the braces treatment. Why does this happen after treatment?
When your teeth are overlapped, the gaps weren’t exposed. After getting them straightened, the triangle gaps become visible.
So, it’s not the fault of your orthodontist. However, you can get rid of the situation. You can get a veneer or composite filling to close the gaps.
Also, check out the causes of why you look weird after braces.
Why do you get gaps in teeth after braces removal?
Here are the possible causes of the gaps forming between teeth after braces.
1. Not wearing a retainer after braces regularly
Getting braces off doesn’t mean orthodontic treatment is ended. Braces correct your bite and align your teeth properly.
But, after the removal of braces, if we don’t hold them in a new position for a certain period, they will get back to their previous position over time.
So, you need to wear a retainer. You may need to wear it for 6 months to a year routinely. If you fail to do that properly, you will have problems such as reopening the gaps in your teeth or flaring teeth after braces.
2. Stop wearing a retainer early before the suggested time
Sometimes braces wearers think that if they don’t wear a retainer, nothing will happen. So, they stop wearing it earlier than the recommended time by your orthodontist. As a result, you may have gapped teeth.
In some cases, you might have a gap between teeth after months or years.
3. Wearing a removable retainer where the fixed retainer is mandatory
People don’t like to take fixed retainers as they don’t want to keep something in their mouths as they had to do with braces.
And, a fixed retainer is just like the braces that can’t be removed by the wearer. Braces treatment requires a lot of time and they get tired of it and so, they don’t prefer the removable retainer.
But, in some cases, a fixed retainer is better than a removal one. So, you may get the gaps back if you don’t wear a fixed variety in those cases.
4. Too much tooth extraction gap
In some rare cases, some space may persist after braces removal when a big-sized tooth is extracted. This happens especially in the case of a back tooth.
5. Getting braces off early
It’s a simple cause. If you get braces off early before the end of treatment according to the plan, gaps will persist.
6. Skeletal cases
Skeletal malocclusion is a condition when you have misaligned, protruded, or retruded teeth because of jaw bone problems. Most skeletal cases need surgical treatment along with to without braces.
But, many people don’t want surgical treatment. So, they may take help from braces.
If you have this type of problem, gaps may come back or teeth may get back to their previous position years after braces.
What to do with gaps in teeth after braces?
When you have gaps after the braces are off, you can get one of the following options:
1. Retainers
The most common treatment for closing gaps between teeth after braces is to wear a retainer. In this case, you need to visit your orthodontist and he will give you the best retainer for your situation.
Wearing a retainer is the most convenient and affordable way to fix teeth gaps. You need to wear it according to the recommendation of your orthodontist.
Moreover, starting to wear the retainers routinely is the best course of action if the gaps result from not wearing the retainers properly following braces.
However, you should still visit your orthodontist to determine whether the previous retainers still function or if new ones are required.
This is because when you don’t wear the retainers correctly, teeth might shift back to their previous position and retainers may also change their shape.
If the teeth are shifted and you have gaps between teeth, the orthodontist will more likely give you an active retainer. It means that your orthodontist makes it in such a way that it put pressure on teeth.
It may look similar to the retainer you get after braces to hold the teeth in position, but it works a little bit differently.
However, keep in mind that, the retainers can close small gaps after the removal of braces.
If the gaps are large, you’ll need other treatment options.
2. Invisalign
If your space is difficult to close with retainers or you have large gaps, you might need to think about this option. One of the best alternatives to braces is Invisalign. It doesn’t need to be fixed to your teeth as braces would be. You can take it off on your own because it is removable.
But, to get better results keep it in your mouth as your orthodontist suggests. Usually, you need to wear the trays for 22 hours a day.
The good thing about these aligners is they are transparent, so you don’t need to think about your appearance. They are also more comfortable to wear.
However, Invisalign is more expensive than retainers.
To get the Invisalign, first of all, you’ll need to have an initial consultation with your orthodontist. He will determine whether you’re a good candidate for Invisalign.
After that, he’ll perform a dental scan or take dental impressions to create a 3D image of your teeth. This will be used to develop a treatment plan.
In the next step, your Invisalign aligners will be created according to the treatment plan.
After that, you’ll need to visit your orthodontist every 4-6 weeks to ensure that the treatment is going as planned.
The treatment will last for a few months and you’ll need to change the trays every 1-2 weeks.
Know when you can get the Invisalign for the gaps.
3. At home teeth straghinets
At-home tooth straightening kit is one of the popular methods that people prefer now. You need to wear it for a couple of hours every day. It will take some months like braces treatment.
But, you can see the difference within weeks. These kits are comfortable and easier to use. You can also remove it whenever you want.
However, make sure to consult your doctor before using any at-home treatment method.
Here are some popular at-home teeth aligners.
Byte aligners
If you have small gaps in teeth after braces and you need to correct that you can get byte aligners, that’s one of the best and most affordable at-home straighteners.
Byte aligners system is one of the most popular at-home teeth straighter today.
It will take only a few months to fix the gaps. You can get this treatment from your home and from a licensed dentist.
Smile direct club
You can also get clear aligners from smile direct club which is also a great at-home straightener. It works almost similarly to byte aligners.
4. Dental veneers
This is a cosmetic treatment option to close the gaps in teeth. It can correct the color, shape, and size of your teeth. When you have gaps between front teeth after braces or midline diastema, you may consider having a veneer crown or composite filling.
Veneers are very thin pieces of porcelain that are placed on the front surface of your teeth. They are custom-made according to the shape and color of your teeth.
In this process, you can close minor gaps like triangle gaps between teeth. You can also get teeth build-up with composite.
All of these processes are used to reshape and rebuild your crown.
However, this treatment is not suitable for everyone. The best candidates for veneers are people who have healthy teeth and gums. Veneers are not a good option for people who have gum disease or tooth decay.
The veneers are placed on the teeth with a special adhesive. After that, a high-intensity light is used to harden the adhesive. Veneers can last for many years with proper care.
5. Dental bonding
Dental bonding or composite bonding is another cosmetic treatment option to close gaps in teeth. This is more effective to close midline diastema or front teeth gaps.
In this treatment, a tooth-colored resin material is used to bond the teeth. This material is placed on the teeth and hardened with a high-intensity light. After that, it is sculpted into the desired shape.
We can use this dental bonding to close gaps between teeth, change the shape of teeth, and also to improve the appearance of stained or discolored teeth. Cavities can be filled with bonding material as well.
However, after braces when you have multiple teeth gaps, this process won’t be effective.
6. Just leave it
If there won’t be any issues with the gaps in the future and you are happy with how you look, there is no need to take any action. Find out if you may leave it as is by asking your orthodontist.
If yes, you can leave it because you may not want to go for any long procedure again.
Check out my other article to know how to close teeth gaps without braces.
7. Going back to braces
Though you may not like this option, you may need to wear braces again in some cases to fix the spaced teeth after braces.
The orthodontist uses various components such as power chains or springs to close the spaces.
Wearing braces twice isn’t so funny at all. But, this can happen when you have already got braces treatment years ago due to severe spacing, and crooked or misaligned teeth, and now have gaps or misaligned teeth again.
Reasons may be a relapse due to severity. Mostly, it happens as a result of not wearing a retainer regularly after getting braces off.
But, you don’t need to worry, because if your present condition isn’t so severe, you don’t need braces.
Why are my braces causing a gap in my front teeth?
It is common for patients to notice a small gap between their front teeth when they first get braces. This is usually due to the teeth moving into their new positions and the braces putting pressure on them.
Your teeth should gradually close this tiny gap as they adapt to their new positions. If not, you can discuss having it with your orthodontist to help close the gap.
Your front teeth’s gap may occasionally be caused by an underlying dental condition such as crowding or tooth alignment issues. If so, your orthodontist will create a treatment plan to address the problem and close the gap.
Why do I still have a gap after the braces are off?
In some circumstances, the braces wearer asks this question, “I’m getting my braces off but I still have gaps after braces. What do I need to do now?”
Nothing to worry about. You can fix the gap left after removing the braces. In most cases, your orthodontist will manage the situation on his own.
You may get power chains near the end of treatment to close the remaining gaps.
You may not need to wear braces again if you have mild space between two or more teeth.
However, if it happens a long time after getting braces off, you might need to wear braces again.
Can gaps come back after braces?
It’s normal to get back the spaces in teeth after braces, as teeth have a tendency to get back to their original position.
Besides, when the spacing is severe, gaps may come back years after braces treatment. But, you can close the gaps again, if you visit the orthodontist early.
You may not need braces if the problem isn’t so serious. You may get a retainer or Invisalign to fix the problems.
Do retainers close gaps after braces?
The retainer can close gaps after braces are removed if it’s too small. But, before the orthodontic treatment is finished, braces close all the gaps.
If any minor spacing is present when you get a retainer following braces treatment, you can expect it to be closed.
To do that, you need a special retainer that can put pressure on closing the gaps. Your orthodontist will give it if you need it.
But, if not, you can consider other better treatment options to fix it. Consult with your orthodontist for that.
Check out 15 Essential Braces Survival Kits
What happens if you have a sudden gap between your front teeth after braces are removed
It can be quite embarrassing to have a sudden gap between your front teeth after braces are removed. This is usually caused by not wearing the retainers as instructed or the teeth not aligning properly when the braces are removed.
You can fix this problem by wearing your retainer as prescribed. You should also consult with your orthodontist and ensure whether you need other appliances.
Why do I have a gap in my teeth that wasn’t there before with braces?
The most likely reason for a gap opening up after wearing braces is that the individual’s teeth were not in ideal alignment, to begin with.
In some cases, the teeth may simply be too crowded or too far apart to be completely straightened by braces alone.
In other cases, the teeth may shift slightly out of place after the braces are removed.
Why do you have gaps between teeth with braces?
There are a few reasons why you may have a gap between your teeth after getting braces.
First, it’s possible that your teeth were not properly aligned, to begin with, making the condition more difficult to fully resolve with braces.
Second, it’s possible that the pressure from the braces may have caused one tooth to move a little bit out of place.
Last but not least, it’s also likely that your braces weren’t tightened correctly, which can result in teeth spaces.
If you are concerned about the gap between your teeth, be sure to talk to your orthodontist so that they can determine the best course of treatment.
Whatever the cause is this spacing should be closed after the end of the treatment.
Why is my gap between teeth getting bigger with braces?
There are a few possible explanations for why your gap between teeth may be getting bigger with braces.
First, it’s possible that your teeth were not originally aligned properly, and that the braces are simply correcting this.
Second, it’s possible that your teeth are moving as they should with the braces, but that the surrounding tissues (such as your gums) are not keeping up with this movement. This may occur if you don’t practice good oral hygiene while wearing braces since it’s possible for the gum tissue to swell and get inflamed.
Finally, it’s possible that your braces are not fitting properly or that they are putting too much pressure on certain teeth, which can cause them to shift out of place.
Consult your orthodontist if you’re worried that wearing braces will cause your gap to widen. They will be able to evaluate the circumstance and determine the best course of treatment.
Takeaways
Usually, you don’t have teeth gaps after braces immediately after getting braces off, though you may have them before and during the orthodontic treatment.
However, you may develop gaps in teeth years after braces due to the relapse tendency of teeth.
Whatever the cause is the gaps can be fixed completely, as modern orthodontics offers you a lot of options.
Gaps in teeth after braces can be fixed by retainers, clear aligners, or dental veneers. However, in severe cases, you might need to wear braces again.
