Do You Know What Black Triangle Is?
Do You Know What Black Triangle Is?
Black triangle: Sometimes we need to use geometry to illustrate our point. This is the case today. Some people have black triangles between their teeth.
As the literature points out, these can have several origins and can be treated in different ways. In the following article, we’ll tell you more about these dental black triangles and how they can be treated.
What Is a Black Triangle Between Two Teeth?
Black triangles are generally referred to in the dental profession as the gum space or gap. This gum space is visible to the naked eye. More precisely, the black triangle can be seen below the contact point of certain teeth.
We also mentioned that this gap can have many different origins. Orthodontic treatment is remedial in this respect, but other disciplines are also involved. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on the orthodontist’s contribution.
It should be noted that treatment is generally aesthetic in nature.
Factors to Consider
With healthy gums and well-aligned teeth, there is generally no space between the gums and the teeth. There are no black triangles.
Black triangles, on the other hand, are caused by the shape of the teeth and their position in the mouth. But they may also appear due to the evolution and condition of your gums.
Tooth shape plays a decisive role in the presence of black triangles.
In fact, if your teeth are more rectangular in shape, their flat edges are side by side and there’s little space between them. In this case, black triangles are not very likely to appear.
They can also be seen if the sides of the teeth are more rounded, or if they are more triangular in shape. In both cases, the chances of seeing a black triangle are greater.
There is another factor that favors the presence of black triangles. This is the shape and size of “the gingival zone that occupies the interproximal area below the point of contact between two adjacent teeth (interdental papilla).”
For children and adolescents, this zone is more developed between the teeth, and the spaces are not apparent.
As we grow older, it diminishes in size and triangular spaces begin to appear, even between well-positioned teeth. The good news is that your orthodontist can help you fill in your black triangles.
Orthodontic Treatment
Well-aligned teeth have room for gum tissue between them. Misaligned teeth, on the other hand, often overlap, so there’s no room between them for the interdental papilla.
In the case of orthodontic treatment, the alignment of teeth during treatment may reveal black triangles.
Your orthodontist can tell you about a fairly common technique for treating black triangles: interproximal reduction (IPR)[1].
This technique is painless and produces an aesthetic result quickly. For some individuals, the IPR procedure involves polishing between the affected teeth to open up a small space. Once this space has been opened, the gum expands and fills the gap between the teeth. This filling occurs rapidly, within a few days.
If this technique doesn’t work for your teeth condition, you may be offered tooth reshaping.
This technique involves removing part of the enamel on the side of each tooth that creates the gap. Reshaping allows the orthodontist to create a larger contact surface between the affected teeth.
Once the orthodontist has reshaped the teeth, closure work can begin. This treatment is used in cases where the usual filling technique is not initially indicated. The orthodontist will then have to reshape the teeth to complete the work.
Recap
Black triangles appear more frequently with age. There are many causes, and treatment is generally aesthetic in nature.
Your orthodontist can answer all your questions and suggest a game plan.
Dr. Normand Bach, in the heart of Montréal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal, has extensive expertise in treating your dental black triangles. His experienced team will guide you through the process and offer you a treatment plan.
Put your trust in Dr. Normand Bach’s cutting-edge expertise and book a consultation today.
