What Causes Black Triangles?
Black triangles are the small spaces or gaps that are visible in between your teeth and gumline. The technical clinical name is open gingival embrasures. They most often occur around the front teeth and are usually the result of gum tissue. Because most teeth taper naturally towards the root, the resulting gaps are most often triangle shaped.
Black triangles are frequently the result of gum recession. Our gums naturally recede as we get older, but this recession can be accelerated with the introduction of gum disease, overly aggressive brushing, or infections.
Are Black Triangles a Cause for Concern
You might not care for your black triangles because of how they affect your smile. The dental industry is not too fond of black triangles because they can trap food particles, making it easier to develop a buildup of damaging plaque, which will increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
If you are unhappy with how your black triangles look, your dentist may recommend that you brush and floss slowly and carefully and together you both monitor your dental health before reviewing the appropriate treatment.
Can You Prevent Black Triangles
Black triangles cannot necessarily be prevented, and you may very well be more susceptible to them because you have triangular shaped teeth or thin gum tissue.
You can minimize gum recession and avoid contributing causes like gum disease and tooth infections, by practicing preventative oral health care and exercising a proper daily routine.
This routine includes brushing gently, in circular motions, thoroughly for two minutes each time, twice a day and also flossing once a day. You should look for any signs of gum disease, which might be red, puffy gums, or any loose teeth, or also bleeding while you are brushing. Make an appointment to see your dentist soon if you notice any of these indicators.
How Does Your Dentist Treat Black Triangles
Without treatment, black triangles can expand and become more prominent over time as your gums continue to recede from aging. There are several procedures to treat black triangles.
- If your black triangles are small and easily manageable, you may just have mild gum recession from gum disease, so you might be able stymie any further recession by improving your oral hygiene practices.
- If your gum disease is confirmed to be more advanced, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist or a periodontist, which is a gum specialist, for proper treatment to eliminate and to reverse the disease.
- If you are also unhappy with the visual appearance of the black triangles, your dentist can easily add a tooth-colored dental bonding compound to build up your teeth and disguise the gaps or spaces.
- Another treatment could be to rejuvenate your receding gumline. The pinhole technique, or a hyaluronic acid treatment can be used to reverse the gum recession.
- Your dentist can also reduce the appearance of black triangles through a combination of IPR and orthodontic treatment. IPR, or interproximal reduction, is the carefully reshaping of your teeth to minimize your black triangles. Orthodontic braces may be a suggested treatment if several gaps are the result of unwanted spacing and the teeth can be realigned.