Visible cavities are actually caused by your gums. When your gums retract and create a gap, black triangles form on the teeth due to the location and shadows in that gap.
These small gaps and shadows can cause you to feel uncomfortable smiling in front of others and cause great aesthetic concern. Knowing how to fix black triangles on teeth comes down to understanding their causes and the best way to refill these gaps.
How To Fix Black Triangles Between Your Teeth?
Your dentist has several solutions to correct tooth cavities caused by gingival recession. Black triangles on teeth can be prevented with good care and regular teeth cleaning. However, if it is a cosmetic problem, you may need aesthetic treatments such as bonding, coating, invisalign or dermal filler to that area. The best treatment will depend on the severity of your gum recession and the size of the black triangles.
What Causes Black Triangles on Teeth?
When you look at your mouth, there’s a sharp, pointed gum tissue sticking out between them. We call this “papilla”. But when the papilla is traumatized or diseased, the gums retract and pull down the neck of the tooth. As this happens, it leaves a void and a dark shadow in place. When you smile in the mirror or look at a photo, it looks like there are dark black triangles between your teeth.
How To Fix Gaps?
Preventive maintenance is key. Treating your gums with precision will keep them healthy enough to keep them attached to your teeth at the proper level. Apart from preventing black triangles in the first place, the only way to hide these dark tooth cavities is to work with your dentist. Depending on the size of the black triangles, they may put some kind of restoration or gum graft in that area to refill it.
1) Proper dental hygiene
The best method for how to fix black triangles on teeth is to prevent them from happening in the first place. To keep your gums healthy and tight around each tooth, you need to have excellent oral hygiene habits. If you treat your gums harshly or don’t pay enough attention to them, they will pull back from your teeth and leave a gap in their absence. Gum tissues do not regrow, so it is very important to take care of them as well as the rest of your mouth.
Your daily care should include:
.Brush gums gently to remove any plaque (and prevent tartar buildup).
.Floss around each tooth daily and be sure to slide your floss under the edge of your gums to clear these gaps.
.Never pull the floss up and down as this could cause them to pull back.
See your dental hygienist regularly for professional cleaning as tartar can contribute to dental cavities.
Treating gum disease as soon as it is diagnosed due to untreated periodontitis will only lead to additional gum recession.
2) Overlays
Dental veneers are a type of cosmetic restoration that masks the front of your teeth. They are usually placed in sets of 6-10 at a time along the upper front teeth that are visible when you smile. Unlike crowns, which cover the entire tooth, veneers run only in front of and slightly to the sides of each tooth. You can choose the size, color and shape to meet your personal preferences.
Procedure
If you prefer veneers to fill the black triangles on the teeth, this will be a two-step process. The preparatory visit will include setting the tooth surface, taking impressions and sending a model to the laboratory. Since the width of your teeth will be reduced by the dentist, it will be numb in your mouth. After a few weeks, your permanent coatings will be back from the lab and ready to stick in place.
3)Orthodontics
Sometimes understanding how to fix black triangles on teeth means taking a step back and looking at the big picture. If your teeth are crooked, crooked or out of alignment, it can create the illusion of dark shadows and triangles in your smile. To holistically correct cavities and other aesthetic concerns, you may consider orthodontic treatment or aligners. When you align these teeth, you close the extra spaces between them. And depending on which route you’re using, you have two options:
Brackets: Traditional bracket and wire orthodontics are one of the most cost-effective and effective ways to move even the most severely misaligned teeth. And if you’re worried about a “metal mouth,” there are options that use ceramic or tooth-colored instruments that blend more easily with your overall smile. Although most cases typically take about 12 months to complete, cosmetic or expedited options that only straighten your front teeth (and take half the time) may also be an option.
Clear Plaques: If you are totally against wearing braces or want an alternative that is easier to keep clean, Invisalign treatment is the best option.
Invisalign digitally maps your tooth movement in advance by creating preplanned alignment plates that move your teeth. All you have to do is change them every two weeks.
4) Bonding / Composite Resin
Aesthetic bonding is a fast and affordable cosmetic treatment that can cover all kinds of aesthetic irregularities. The material is similar to the material your dentist uses during filling and can be adhered to a variety of surfaces. It’s easy to cover up malformed enamel, stains and, in this case, the occasional black triangle on teeth. Best of all, you may not even need any numbing or piercing while you’re at the dentist.
Procedure
Bonding adheres directly to the tooth surface. Your dentist will use a gentle abrasive to roughen the outer layer of your tooth enamel for a tighter bond. Next, they will use a shadow guide to select the appropriate composite color. It is easy to match your teeth as it comes in a variety of shades. They will then manually adjust the composite to fill the tooth cavities. When it reaches the shape they want it to be, a bright light permanently fixes the resin in place.
5) Dental Crowns
Crowns are “full-coverage” restorations that completely enclose your tooth. This design makes it possible to slightly adjust the shape of the tooth, including its length and width. If your dentist is placing several crowns right next to each other, it is possible to design them to fill some of the space caused by your gums retraction.
Procedure
Dental crown treatment usually requires two separate appointments. The teeth need to be prepared and slightly reduced in size. For the design process, a measurement is taken and sent to the laboratory. You return to the office after about two weeks and the porcelain crowns are permanently bonded in place. In some cases, your dentist may have Cad/Cam equipment on site and can design and place a dental crown in a single appointment.
6)Hyaluronic Acid Treatment
If you’re interested in facial aesthetics and skin care, you’ve probably heard of hyaluronic acid. It is often used as a dermal filler to tighten the skin, erase the signs of premature aging and even add volume to your skin. It is also used by doctors to help relieve inflammation or treat joints with osteoarthritis. But in this example, it’s applied to gum tissues to help treat the effects of gum disease (which causes black triangles) because it can help block bacteria, speed healing, and encourage the development of new blood vessels. If you are dealing with black triangles, it is thought to help regenerate the tissues you need.
Procedure
Most dentists apply hyaluronic acid treatment immediately after a deep cleaning or removing tartar from that area. In most cases, it is applied topically. Your dentist may even ask you to bring home gel to apply to the same site daily for up to two weeks. However, there are some instances where the product is injected directly into your gums to help plump for a faster volume, such as with Juvederm or other dermal fillers.
7) Tissue Grafting (Graft)
A gum graft (also called a soft tissue graft) is the transfer of gum tissue from one area to the area where the gum is missing. There are also minimally invasive alternatives to treat gingival recession, such as a new technique called “Pinhole” rejuvenation. Both work to re-coat exposed areas for oral health and cosmetic purposes. However, it can be difficult to completely restore the pointed “papilla” that protrudes upwards between healthy teeth.
Procedure
Depending on the type of tissue graft you get, the gum tissue can be taken from the roof of your mouth or come from a third party (don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe) placed over the tooth and sometimes stitched in place. The downside is that it can be quite painful for a few days. In the example of the pinhole procedure, the gums are stretched over the tooth along with the tissues already in that area.
The Best Way to Prevent Cavities in the Teeth
If you’re starting to see black triangles on the teeth or cavities anywhere in your smile, you’ll want to go ahead and find a great preventative routine. This way you can prevent them from getting worse or creating more of them in the beginning.
.Schedule regular cleanings to remove tartar buildup and keep your gums healthy.
.Floss properly (sliding under the gums) or use a water flosser. Do not pull the floss up and down your gums.
.Do not poke your gums with a toothpick
