What Causes Black Triangles?
Black triangles are a very common occurrence among patients of all ages. For some patients, the shape of their teeth naturally tapers at the gumline, resulting in an apparent black triangle. These open gingival embrasures generally affect the front teeth and can be exacerbated by gum disease, tooth infections, and even vigorous brushing. As we age, our gum tissue naturally thins and recedes simply due to daily wear and tear on the teeth and gum tissue.
Patients going through orthodontic treatment may also begin to notice the appearance of black triangles as their teeth straighten and come together. Triangles may not have been present before if the teeth were crooked or crowded.
Black triangles may also be a symptom of an underlying condition such as periodontal disease or other medical issue. Periodontal disease can cause the gum tissue to become infected and inflamed, at which point it begins to recede from the root structure, exposing root surface and creating a black triangle between teeth.
Preventing Black Triangles
Black triangles are mostly an anesthetic annoyance but your dentist may encourage you to seek treatment if they begin to create a food trap or increased plaque accumulation. Both of these problems can leave you more susceptible to decay and gum disease. If your black triangles do not bother you, your dentist may advise you to keep an eye on the area to make sure it is not catching food or building up plaque.
Preventing black triangles in the first place may be hard, some patients are just more predisposed to developing black triangles because of the shape of their teeth or the health of the gum tissue. However, it is important to focus on minimizing gum recession and to avoid contributing factors such as gum disease and tooth decay by practicing good oral hygiene and seeing your dentist regularly for a check up and professional cleaning.
Treating Black Triangles
Black triangles are likely to become more prominent over time as your gums continue to recede with age. Fortunately, there are several ways to treat black triangles and prevent them from getting larger.
Treating gum recession with a gum graft or pinhole technique is a great way to keep black triangles from getting bigger and causing a problem. There are also filler injections for the gum tissue that will help rejuvenate the tissue and keep the recession from getting worse.
Dental bonding and porcelain restorations are also used to treat black triangles. Bonding can be placed in the space to fill in the triangle. Porcelain crowns and veneers can be placed to change the entire shape of the teeth and close up black triangles.
If you have black triangles appear after orthodontic treatment, interproximal reduction (IPR) is a technique in which your doctor uses a very thin file to take off some tooth structure between two teeth. If your doctor sees black triangles beginning to form during ortho treatment, IPR can greatly reduce their appearance, allowing the teeth to come even closer together!