There are obvious similarities between your teeth and someone else's. But these similarities are quite broad, and once subtle differences are taken into account, everyone's teeth are completely unique. This is how it's possible to identify a person using their dental records. There might be part of your smile that, as far as you're concerned, is too unique. It's not in fact your teeth, but the gaps between them—gaps which might be too prominent.

A Clinical Problem

If the width of the gaps between your teeth was a clinical problem, it's likely that your dentist will have pointed this out quite some time ago. Teeth that are too widely spaced can lead to a problem with your bite. If this affected you, your dentist will have recommended taking action to alter the configuration of your bite, and this generally involves orthodontic work.

A Cosmetic Problem

When the spacing of your teeth isn't a clinical problem, orthodontic treatment is unnecessary. This is when the problem is strictly cosmetic, so treatment is entirely at your discretion.

Dental Bonding

Since this problem is classified as cosmetic, its treatment is similarly cosmetic. Dental bonding involves the application of a tooth-coloured composite resin to the tooth. It's typically used to cover imperfections and mild deterioration. 

Dental bonding doesn't technically affect the positioning of your teeth. However, your dentist can apply a thin strip of composite resin to the edges of your teeth. This increases their width and reduces the gap between your teeth. The bonding agent will be an exact match for the colour of your teeth, dries quickly, and offers comparable strength to a natural, unmodified tooth. It's long-lasting, but not everlasting. You must take the best possible care of your teeth, but your bonding will need to be touched up in the years to come. 

Dental Veneers

It should be pointed out that dental veneers (customised porcelain shells bonded to the outward-facing surface of a tooth) will achieve the same goal as dental bonding when it comes to reducing the gaps between your teeth. However, dental bonding is less expensive and involves less preparation. For example, veneers require a small amount of the tooth's surface enamel to be removed. This is necessary to accommodate the veneer, but this type of preparation is unnecessary for dental bonding. 

Dental bonding is a marvellous, incredibly simple procedure, used to solve a number of dental problems. And when your particular problem is related to the excessive gaps between your teeth, bonding might turn out to be your solution. Reach out to a dentist to learn more.