Teeth Effects
Teeth Gap Bands
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There is a product advertised on the Internet by
a company called Teeth Effects, that is promoted as a technique to close
a gap in your front teeth. It deserves some comment here.
What they sell for $19.95 is a package of rubber
bands and instructions. Besides being very expensive for rubber
bands, there are significant risks that you need to be aware of, if
you're contemplating using this product.
The chief problem with this technique is the
lack of control over the tooth movement. The photos on the right are
of a case treated with the "Teeth Effects" rubber bands. Notice how
it appears that the front tooth on our left has been pulled out of
the socket a little. This does not look like a healthy situation to |
before |
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after |
me, and I believe
that the long term lifespan of this tooth has been compromised here.
The movement that is produced by these rubber bands is
a tipping movement. Rather than causing the teeth to slide together,
keeping their same angle in your mouth, the teeth are caused to tip in
toward each other. Additionally, new gaps may be created on the sides of
these teeth.
But the most serious damage will come if you happen
to leave the rubber bands on your teeth and then forget they are there.
Or, they can work their way under the gum to where you simply can't get
them out. If
they slip under the gums at night, it could happen that you won't see them
in the morning and I am aware of cases where people left them on for a
long period--either because they forgot them or they couldn't remove them. These bands will, over a period of time, gradually
and painlessly work their way up the roots of the teeth until the teeth
become more and more loose and can actually fall out.
If your teeth are moved with
braces, the movement will be controlled
so that the inclination of the teeth isn't changed, which will give a more
esthetic result.
Another faster way to close a gap is with direct
tooth bonding. See photographs on our
tooth bonding photos page and our
tooth gap page, which shows several ways to
treat a gap between the front teeth.
