Gapped teeth can be classified as a dental condition that can be found anywhere between your teeth. However, it is much more pronounced when the gap is between the front teeth on your upper jaw. You may find that some of these gaps are much smaller in other people but openly visible in others.

Some people don't mind having the gap in their teeth, but for others, it brings in some self-consciousness that impacts the way they feel about their smile. The good thing is that the gap can be eliminated by a qualified dentist who employs specific dental procedures to make it so small that it can be barely identified. But what causes the gap in the first place?

Missing Teeth

As your dentist will tell you, teeth are, to some level, codependent. When a tooth goes missing, the other nearby teeth start to drift away from each other eventually. This is what causes there to be gaps between sections of your teeth. Sometimes, the drift can take a long time to show any significant effect.

But all the same, you need to take care and have the missing tooth replaced before that happens. Your dentist could recommend solutions such as placement of dental implants or dental bridges to serve as permanent replacements for your teeth.

Size of the Jaw

If you have a larger jaw size than what your teeth can cover, then you will develop gaps in your teeth. This is primarily the main reason why some children still have gaps in their teeth even before they get to adulthood.

Sometimes, the gaps remain after the adult teeth show up, but in other cases, the adult teeth grow to be big enough to cover the spaces, and the gaps go away. This is the reason why wisdom teeth show up in later years because the jaws are still small and don't have room to fit an extra set of teeth.

Gum Disease

Gum infections are some of the leading causes of developing gaps in your teeth. The condition damages your teeth, which eventually causes there to be gaps from missing teeth. However, there are ways to prevent the occurrence of gum disease, as your dentist will recommend.

Among them is flossing, which helps remove plaque that is the primary cause of gum disease. It is therefore vital that you make a point to brush and floss teeth every day to be safe from gum disease.