DIY: Front tooth gap fix.

[MrNiceGuy]

Hello,

I have a 2-3mm gap between my two front teeth.

I'm wondering if anyone else has attempted to fix this themselves? I got some elastic tooth bands - which work great...when you're wearing them. But a few hours after you remove them the teeth simply shift back to their original state. Supposedly if you wear them constantly for 1-2months the teeth fix in their new position but a combination of me being forgetful + falling out when I'm sleeping/eating has resulted in me not being able to achieve this.

I have purchased some "permanent dental cement" (Dental Glass Ionomer Radiopaque Filling & Luting Cement) off eBay and I'm going to attempt to cement them together while wearing the bands and leaving the band on until it dries.

Can anyone see any immediate harm in this? I imagine the product is non-toxic if it's approved dental cement.

How would a dentist normally fix a gap in the two front teeth?

Thanks.
MrNiceGuy

 

[Cielo]

Hi, Mr.~
I'm a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, but do-it-yourself orthodontia is NOT something I would ever consider. I hope one of the resident professionals will see this in time to talk you out of your plan.

Please think about this. If you somehow manage to glue your front teeth together, what will that look like? Do you have the tools and equipment necessary to finish off the job, or will you look like you have one huge front tooth?

What if the cement discolors? You'll be stuck with that look until you seek help to remedy the situation. And then there could be damage done to those front teeth that may require extensive repair.

What if the two glued-together teeth then shift? I don't claim to have any knowledge of such matters, but it would seem that if you have any space on either side of the "uni-tooth," it could shift one way or the other. Even more time and expense to fix that.

I'm sure there are more physical/mechanical considerations as well.

I read your other posts, and saw that you're only 20 years old. You have a dentist and have had recent dental work. Please, please seek professional help to fix your gap if you really feel it needs fixed. You're so young, it would be tragic if you permanently damaged your teeth or ended up having to go through the time and expense of repairing something that could have been done much more easily and inexpensively by an orthodontist.

I wish you well, and I hope you're not offended. I just hate to see you make what could be a HUGE mistake.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Please think about this. If you somehow manage to glue your front teeth together, what will that look like? Do you have the tools and equipment necessary to finish off the job, or will you look like you have one huge front tooth?

I'm not sure what you mean? I use the bands all the time to pull them together and they look fine.

What if the cement discolors? You'll be stuck with that look until you seek help to remedy the situation. And then there could be damage done to those front teeth that may require extensive repair.

I'm planning on sticking them together at the back. I'm not sure if I should just glue the teeth together with the cement or use some sort of bridge (a small metal wire).

What if the two glued-together teeth then shift? I don't claim to have any knowledge of such matters, but it would seem that if you have any space on either side of the "uni-tooth," it could shift one way or the other. Even more time and expense to fix that.

I doubt that would happen, and even if it did my two front teeth are extremely tight to the canines atm - when I move them together there is barely a 1mm gap between the canines and front tooth.


btw - I read posts on the internet of other people that used these bands to fix their gap. Some people were saying that they went into a dentist and they just glued them shut. So I imagine what I'm doing is exactly what a dentist would do.

 

[annie778]

Im not a dentist but I reckon you are in danger of your teeth fracturing if you go ahead as planned. Just based on common sense I reckon once you remove the support of the elastic bands, the bond will not be strong enough to prevent the teeth from springing back apart, but will be strong enough to possibly create a fracture.

You should go to an orthodontist and get a proper brace. You can't just move a couple of teeth without moving the rest as they just spring back to their natural location. The cheapest and easiest way to fix a front tooth gap is just to have a little composite on each tooth.

 

[fatcat]

I agree with the others, this doesn't sound like a good idea.
To give you an idea of how much teeth can move after having a brace - I had a brace (train tracks) mainly for my big gap inbetween my two front teeth (so big I could at the time fit a pound coin in the gap). After the train tracks were taken off I was given a retainer to wear for a while to keep them in place which I did, however I the teeth shifted back and the gap came back....not as big as before but still very noticeable. Yes I probably was unlucky but think what could happen if you did use this cement and your teeth shifted back, at best the cement would break, at worst it would break and take some of your tooth with it. Please think very carefully about this and consider getting them fixed by an orthodontist. Also, the gap doesn't bother me now (did when I was younger) it's just part of what makes me me, it would be weird if we all looked the same.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Dentist's often glue metal wires to the back of teeth in order to keep them straight. I don't see why I couldn't do this myself?

 

[annie778]

Dentist's often glue metal wires to the back of teeth in order to keep them straight. I don't see why I couldn't do this myself?

I don't understand why you don't go to the dentist. What you are thinking of is pointless and dangerous. At best you will end up with bruised roots or fractured enamel, at worst a root canal or extraction if your tooth ends up infected or root resorbed as a result of the trauma and meddling. Dentists I've met all have a good understanding of engineering concepts and understand how load and the huge pressure of a bite will affect the work they do. They don't just stick stuff in your mouth without taking all risk factors into account. I've never heard of anyone sticking metal wires to teeth to keep them straight. Unless you mean a brace.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

I don't understand why you don't go to the dentist. What you are thinking of is pointless and dangerous. At best you will end up with bruised roots or fractured enamel, at worst a root canal or extraction if your tooth ends up infected or root resorbed as a result of the trauma and meddling. Dentists I've met all have a good understanding of engineering concepts and understand how load and the huge pressure of a bite will affect the work they do. They don't just stick stuff in your mouth without taking all risk factors into account. I've never heard of anyone sticking metal wires to teeth to keep them straight. Unless you mean a brace.

My cousin has a metal wire stuck along his lower teeth - this was cemented on after his brace was removed.

 

[annie778]

so why dont you just go to the dentist?

 

[MrNiceGuy]

I told my dentist I was using the bands and asked him if he would glue them shut, but he said he would have to refer me to a orthopedic dentist. I told him to forget it and that was the end of the appointment. A few weeks later my mum received a call confirming my orthopedic appointment (even though I hadn't asked for one). I couldn't get the time off work and got a phone call after the date of the appointment saying I owed them £20 for not showing up. Can't really be arsed with all that tbh. I just came here to get the opinion of a qualified dentist.

Are there any about?

 

[Gordon]

OK, I'm a qualified dentist, here's my professional opinion, at no charge.

You're going to lose your 2 front teeth if you carry on like this. Start saving for some implants.

1) You don't know how much force you're applying to the teeth to close the gap. Excessive force causes the roots to "self destruct" some years down the line. You're also doing some long term damage with the constant moving back and forth from your previous attempts with the elastics.
2) You can't see what you're doing when you're trying to put the cement on, you will compromise the gum space with cement which will lead to gum disease and will muck up your chance for those implants
3) Glass ionomer doesn't bond to enamel, so it's likely to fail, but the worrying part is No 1 above.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Thanks for the reply Gordon, after reading your post and doing some more researching myself I have abandoned my plans to cement my teeth and do not plan to use the "Teeth Effects" bands again.

After looking past all the positive reviews of the bands (most likely people being paid to spam them over the web) I found a dentists warning online and a story of a girl who is in danger of loosing her two front teeth after using the bands extensively.

I take it "bonding" is my next option? Does anyone know what the maximum size of gap they can fix this way, and an average price on the NHS?

Thanks,
MrNiceGuy

 

[annie778]

I think it cost me about £70 max when I had it done but that was many years ago. It may be cheaper than that because it is very straightforward and takes one visit and no injections. My gap was about 2mm and it was closed by just widening the inner corners slightly without filling all the way to the top. It was hardwearing and I was very very happy with it. Had I not been talked into veneers by the same dentist I would have happily carried on instead of developing a phobia.

Some tips if you go down this route :

make sure you are given a light coloured composite as it tends to fade/stain a bit over time so starting lighter may be a better option.

Be aware of the fact that if it wears at all over time you can have it replaced again and again with no real impact on your teeth. So you don't have to worry about replacing it with any "permanent" options such as veneers.

It's the most cost effective, speedy way to fix a gap with no trauma to your roots.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

I think it cost me about £70 max when I had it done but that was many years ago. It may be cheaper than that because it is very straightforward and takes one visit and no injections. My gap was about 2mm and it was closed by just widening the inner corners slightly without filling all the way to the top. It was hardwearing and I was very very happy with it. Had I not been talked into veneers by the same dentist I would have happily carried on instead of developing a phobia.

Some tips if you go down this route :

make sure you are given a light coloured composite as it tends to fade/stain a bit over time so starting lighter may be a better option.

Be aware of the fact that if it wears at all over time you can have it replaced again and again with no real impact on your teeth. So you don't have to worry about replacing it with any "permanent" options such as veneers.

It's the most cost effective, speedy way to fix a gap with no trauma to your roots.

How often did you have to replace them? Do they noticeable wear? (or does it just fall out one day).

I've whitened my teeth a few times (with crest whitestrips) - I assume the bond wouldn't whiten at the same rate my normal teeth would and I would have to stop using these?

 

[annie778]

they did not wear and I reckon they would have lasted a few years if not more. My teeth felt very strong and did not feel as if anything could easily break them.

I replaced them with veneers at the recommendation of my dentist and that's where I made a mistake but I was very young and knew nothing about dental treatment.

If you have bond that is lighter than your natural teeth then you can bleach to match. You can always have it replaced with hardly any trauma if you get fed up with bleaching.

if you can't afford a brace then bond is the easiest solution. You can still have a brace later. If you go down this route make sure you tell your dentist that you do not want him to adjust your tooth structure in any way. They should be able to attach to your teeth without altering them at all and that means you can have it reversed in future if you want a brace.

 

[Dental Queen]

Dental bands are very dangerous because the shape of incisors is fan shaped, so the can ride up and actually extrude your teeth. They can cause tooth loss or get lodged in your gums causing infections. Plus, they are VERY expensive as a bag of the same rubber bands cost orthodontists 5 cents!

Using self bonding adhesive will over time cause you a periodontal issue and will look terrible.

I take it you hate your diastema (gap)? Please see an orthodontist. They work out affordable payment options and you'll feel great about your smile. Or a dentist can bond composite to close for around $300 per tooth. Veneers would be much more but gorgeous if you get them by a great cosmetic dentist.

DIY dentistry is very dangerous and can cost you tons of anguish and money to correct lost teeth. Dentists have years of training and licensing. Don't scrimp on a parachute or dentistry!

Hello,

I have a 2-3mm gap between my two front teeth.

I'm wondering if anyone else has attempted to fix this themselves? I got some elastic tooth bands - which work great...when you're wearing them. But a few hours after you remove them the teeth simply shift back to their original state. Supposedly if you wear them constantly for 1-2months the teeth fix in their new position but a combination of me being forgetful + falling out when I'm sleeping/eating has resulted in me not being able to achieve this.

I have purchased some "permanent dental cement" (Dental Glass Ionomer Radiopaque Filling & Luting Cement) off eBay and I'm going to attempt to cement them together while wearing the bands and leaving the band on until it dries.

Can anyone see any immediate harm in this? I imagine the product is non-toxic if it's approved dental cement.

How would a dentist normally fix a gap in the two front teeth?

Thanks.
MrNiceGuy