How Do You Fix Short Teeth?
Short teeth, or microdontia, is hereditary so if you or someone in your family has short teeth, there is a chance that your child or a grandchild may also have short teeth. Short teeth can affect how your teeth come together, how you bite, and possibly lead to difficulties eating or bruxism and jaw problems. Medically speaking, small teeth do not always need to be treated but if you are cosmetically uncomfortable with your smile, your dentist may have a solution!
Microdontia is sorted into three categories: True generalized, relative generalized, and localized. True generalized microdontia is when all of the teeth are smaller than average and is typically caused by a condition such as pituitary dwarfism. Relative generalized microdontia is when the teeth appear small in comparison to the jaw. Patients that have a large jaw with normal size teeth may appear to have short teeth. Localized microdontia is the most common type and is when only one or a few teeth are affected.
How do you fix short teeth?
There are a few dental treatments that can lengthen teeth and depending on how much length needs to be added and your price range, you may be presented with treatment options including: bonding, veneers, crowns, or gum contouring.
Bonding
Dental bonding uses a composite resin material to reshape and add length to your teeth. This is the same material that your dentist uses to fill a cavity! Bonding is a great option for patients who are not sure they are ready for porcelain because bonding can be removed. It is not necessarily considered permanent because no tooth structure is lost in the application process and bonding only lasts 5 to 7 years. An acid solution is applied to the teeth being treated to roughen up their surface and give the bonding something to stick to.
Crowns and Veneers
Porcelain restorations like crowns and veneers are considered a permanent treatment because tooth structure has to be removed in order to make room for the porcelain restoration. Crowns cover the entire exposed tooth structure and veneers only cover the front part that shows when you smile. Both are used to give you a beautiful new smile with teeth that are an appropriate length! Porcelain is resistant to stains and chips and can last 20 years or more.
Gum Contouring
Gum contouring is reserved for patients that have a gummy smile, which simply means that the gum tissue covers too much of the tooth structure. Gum contouring is a procedure in which your doctor will use a laser or a scalpel to cut away gum tissue and expose more tooth structure.
If your short teeth are a result of an underlying medical condition, your dentist will likely recommend addressing this issue before having cosmetic dental treatment to lengthen your teeth. There are a number of developmental syndromes that have short teeth as a symptom but as long as you are healthy and can tolerate the procedure to lengthen your teeth, any of the above treatment options may be a great option for you!