Cost to Fix Black Triangles?
Have you ever heard of the famous black dental triangle? The gingival embrasures or black triangle are those black spaces that remain between the teeth and gums of the mouth. It is an aesthetic problem, very common in adults and always appears after correcting severe crowding in the teeth after having had orthodontics. When there are periodontal or gum problems, this problem can also appear.
It is true that this black triangle sometimes creates both aesthetic and health problems in the mouth. This aesthetic setback occurs because there is a gap between the bone and the point of contact between the teeth. If they are more than approximately 5 millimeters apart, the gum is unable to fill the large gap that occurs, and forms a black triangle-shaped space.
What is the black triangle smile?
In order to understand what a black triangle smile is, the first thing you have to know is what the anatomy of the periodontium (the tissues that support the teeth) is like and how inflammation destroys the bone that holds the teeth. The bone surrounds the roots of the teeth, joining them thanks to the periodontal ligament and the gum covers the bone, acting as if it were the skin of the mouth.
When inflammation occurs, the bone is gradually destroyed, causing the gum ligament to retract following the bone. In this way, the roots of the teeth are exposed. The shape of the oral roots is similar to that of a cone, pointed at the end. When the bone is lost and the gum recedes, the back of the mouth is visible and since it is dark in color, it is called a black triangle.
The main reasons why these black triangles appear are:
Receding gums
Poorly treated periodontal diseases can cause bone loss and gum recession. It is very common for a patient to notice black triangles after being treated for periodontitis (gum infection), since their interdental papilla has been lost.
Orthodontics:
If you have completed orthodontic treatment, it is very likely that you will also find small black triangles between your teeth. In many cases, people do not notice these
spaces until they finish their treatment, which is when they are most visible. Before they were camouflaged because they had their teeth mounted.
The shape of your teeth:
Morphology is another reason. If the shape of your teeth is triangular, you will be more prone to the appearance of these small black gaps.
How are dental embrasures closed?
Dental veneers
This treatment, based on composite or porcelain veneers, allows you to modify the shape of the triangular tooth and cover the embrasures.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is also a great alternative to help close the embrasures, as long as their origin is morphological, that is, it has appeared because the teeth have a triangular shape. If the cause is periodontal disease, it will first have to be cleaned.
Gum graft
At the first consultation, the dentist will assess the level of gingival recession. If the problem is complex, a gum graft will have to be used.
Filling of holes with composite
A practical and quick way is to fill these interproximal spaces with composite (composite resin) in a process called dental bonding.
Cost to fix triangles?
The cost to fix the black triangles will depend on which treatment you choose. Veneers are more expensive than bonding, with veneers costing an average of $1,500 per tooth and bonding $100-$500 a tooth. Orthodontics and gum grafts are pricier still, because both involves many appointments, apparatuses, and/or surgery, which adds up. The base cost for a gum graft is an average of $600-$1,000 a tooth and the cost of orthodontics depend fully on what solution is considered for you and what apparatuses are used.