One third of adults have unaesthetic “black triangles” on their front teeth. The aesthetics of the lower front teeth dental black triangles  are often ignored or overlooked by dentists, who tend to focus on the cosmetics of the upper front teeth. As we age, it is not uncommon to see these black gaps on our older friend’s teeth as well as our own. The black triangles are prone to accumulate food debris as well as excessive plaque. These black triangles can make us look older than we feel, and when gravity makes our lower teeth show more, they can be an ugly distraction.

This patient presented with a fairly typical dilemma, he wanted to improve the looks of his lower front teeth, but he was not interested in having porcelain veneers placed. While the treatment will not make the cover of any cosmetic dentistry journals, it was nonetheless a life changing treatment for this elderly gentleman.

It is not uncommon to see people in their 70s, 80s and 90s with black dental triangles. I like to ask these patients:

• Do you think you will live or could live another 5 or 10 years?
• Do you want to outlast your teeth, or do you want your teeth to outlast you?

There are some hygiene and health advantages to eliminating black triangles in seniors. It is also a quality of life issue as it eliminates embarrassing social situations caused by food accumulation in the triangles of the lower front teeth.

If you or a friend has this dental situation, please ask Dr. Marsh to take a look and discuss the possibilities of injection composite molding using the BioClear Matrix System™.