Causes of Diastema?

While it is not harmful, a diastema is a gap between two teeth wider than 0.5 millimeters.  Both adults and children experience diastema and it can occur between any two teeth.  In most cases, it is not medically necessary to treat diastema but people choose to address it to improve their appearances.

A diastema can result from a number of issues and in some cases, it can even be prevented.  Especially in children, the imbalance between the size of the teeth and the size of the jawbone.  As the jawbone grows in size and the baby teeth remain or the adult teeth grow in, diastema easily occur.  Genetically, the size of the adult teeth may still be too small as compared to the size of the jaw and the result are spaces between the teeth.  Often, if the cause is a genetically larger jawbone or smaller teeth, then the appearance of diastema may be apparent in families.

For other people, if they have smaller teeth as compared to their other teeth or if they have missing teeth, then a gap can result.  Often people who have smaller lateral incisors on their upper jaws also have a diastema between their front teeth.  In other cases, some people are born with missing adult teeth and while those may not be the front or more visible teeth, the present teeth can shift along the jaw.

An oversized labial frenum pulls the teeth on either side apart from each other.  The labial frenum is the tissue that attaches the gum to the lip and if there is too much tissue, the teeth will shift to accommodate it.  It often occurs on the upper lip and affects the front two teeth.

If you suffer from gum disease, then you may already notice your teeth moving along your jaw bone.  When the gum is affected by bacteria and is inflamed as a response to the prolonged exposure to the bacteria, gum disease can damage the jaw bone itself.  If gum disease is not addressed and treated by a dental professional, the continued infection can weaken the tooth sockets.  The teeth are not able to stay in their original place on the jawbone and they can even fall out due to the lack of proper support from the gums.

Additionally, poor swallowing technique can push teeth apart while proper technique should not have any effect on the teeth at all.  If your reflex is to press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then your teeth are more likely to stay in place over time.  But if you push your tongue against your teeth to swallow, then a gap will form over time.  The dentist can treat your diastema but a deliberate change in your swallowing reflex will help prevent the problem from returning or worsening.

Swallowing technique is not the only habit that can affect tooth placement.  Children who suck their thumbs put pressure on their teeth pushing them forward with a gap between the front two or multiple gaps between the front four teeth.  Other habits children have or adults develop like tongue thrusting or lip sucking also push teeth from their original placement creating diastema.