Are Black Triangles Normal?
Black triangles are the spaces occurring naturally between triangular shaped teeth which are touching each other. These spaces in between the teeth can actually allow for better cleaning with smaller toothbrushes. You can also develop black triangles after having orthodontic corrective treatment.
If you have been considering getting your teeth straightened because they are crooked, crowded, or are overlapping, your dentist may have introduced you to black triangles. The following is an explanation of black triangles and what can cause them.
What Causes Black Triangles?
Black triangles can be completely normal based on several varied reasons. Here are some common reasons for the formation of black triangles based on studies and research:
- Your age.
- Tooth space, the actual space between your teeth.
- Diverging roots deriving from post-orthodontic treatments.
- Gum biotype or gum disease.
In addition to these frequent and common causes, not maintaining proper oral hygiene, or smoking, or even a pregnancy will also lead to your gums receding, resulting in even more unwanted space between your teeth. Black triangles are often caused by gum recession. Your gums will recede naturally as you grow older, but this can be accelerated by aggressive brushing, gum disease, and tooth infections.
Health Risks and Benefits
Usually seen as a simple and straight-forward dental cosmetic issue, black triangles can also attract and harbor food particles. It is easier to accumulate plaque in between these larger teeth gaps, leading to a higher risk of cavities or even abscesses.
Black triangles are totally normal and some amount of spacing is natural and even beneficial. This normal spacing can actually help to improve your ability to clean your teeth, your gum health, and your overall dental hygiene.
Dental Hygiene Suggestions if You have Normal Black Triangles
Here are a few industry recommendations for maintaining good oral hygiene:
- Brush like a dentist would- Consider using an electric or sonic toothbrush, which can clean and remove up to 70% more plaque than your handheld toothbrush.
- Eat and drink smile friendly- Avoid sugary drinks and food that will cause tooth decay as well as any acidic drinks like juice or carbonated drinks.
- Jet wash your smile- Use an irrigator device regularly with a medicated mouthwash to clean away all the food that gets stuck in the gum pockets between the teeth.
- Reinforce and strengthen your enamel- Help support the strength of your enamel by using custom prescribed trays with a highly concentrated, mineralized enamel strengthening paste.
Which Tooth Shape Usually Causes Black Triangles
Not every tooth shape will result in the formation of black triangles, so depending on your personal and individual dental structure, you simply may or may not have black triangles. It is actually less common to not have any gaps between your teeth at all. Spaces, gaps, or no gaps, it most often is the result of the shape of your teeth, which usually fall into one of three categories, rectangular, oval, or triangular shape. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your black triangles, there are several simple dental treatments that your dentist might suggest minimizing the gaps or spacing.