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Black Triangles

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:25 pm
by plugnickel69
I know this has been a common topic on this board. I noticed black triangles forming in many areas not long after my treatment started and attributed them to the triangular shape of my teeth and the straightening process (though my teeth were relatively straight). However, I believe the problem of the black triangles is due to gum recession, as I checked my photos from the start and those areas were filled in by gum tissue. Does anybody know if gums tend to regenerate in those area after orthodontic treatment or is there periodontal work that can be done to regenerate or fill-in the tissue? I assume bonding can improve the appearance, and of course there are veneers, but have no desire to go the veneer route.

Re: Black Triangles

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:54 am
by jerhend
30% or more of adult ortho patients end up with at least one black triangle. There are several factors that lead up to having them. The shape of your teeth play a large role but the other is the distance from the bone crest to the point where your teeth touch, known as a contact point. Adults also tend to have bone loss that increases the distance from the bone crest to the contact point this will cause recession of your gums. And your smart by not going the route of veneers. There are some new bonding procedures that are specific to treating black triangles. You can search it out online. There are a bunch of youtube videos of a doctor named David Clark. He is considered an expert in treating black triangles with bonding. There are several doctors that do the same treatments as him. You can ask your local general dentist if he is using a product called Bioclear. They are forms that help the doctor inject composite around the base of your tooth to make it less triangular and also lowers the contact point closer to the bone crest. This will push up the gums into the space. It is a easy treatment. I have had it done and I love my smile!

Re: Black Triangles

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:45 pm
by Donna
I know there is an ortho who posts here (I think it's this board) who believes if the recession isn't too severe, then the gums may fill back in. A gum graft may also be an option.

By the time I got my braces off, I had a bunch of black triangles on my lower teeth, and I was so upset. I gave my teeth a few months to settle and then I went and got them bonded. My dentist did an amazing job and I am so happy I had it done.

Re: Black Triangles

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:19 am
by plugnickel69
I spoke with my ortho and he indicated that the the gums will probably not grow back in but my result should be acceptable. I will speak to my dentist during my next visit. I've had some minor bonding previously and will consider that route if necessary. Will probably also see a periodontist eventually as I do have one premolar with some gum erosion.

Re: Black Triangles

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:49 pm
by Lucy4642
i'm new to this site and the terminology. I had to google black triangles... but now that I know what they are I can appreciate more some of the things my periodontist told me about next steps for me after the braces come off (in 23 months). he said that gum work would be needed after, but not as much as I would need if I didn't get braces to straighten crowded teeth. he implied that some recession would improve and explained why in a way that made sense. he probably simplified the explanation but this is what I recall. when teeth are crowded the gums have to stretch to go around more than just one tooth. the gums thin as they stretch to accommodate crowding, and recession follows in time. when the teeth are straightened, the gums don't have to be stretched and fill in more around each non-overlapping tooth. black triangles occur after straightening but before the gums recover. some triangles may not fill in on their own and a periodontist can help with skin grafting. So much to look forward to :P

Re: Black Triangles

Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:10 pm
by 33333
jerhend wrote:30% or more of adult ortho patients end up with at least one black triangle. There are several factors that lead up to having them. The shape of your teeth play a large role but the other is the distance from the bone crest to the point where your teeth touch, known as a contact point. Adults also tend to have bone loss that increases the distance from the bone crest to the contact point this will cause recession of your gums. And your smart by not going the route of veneers. There are some new bonding procedures that are specific to treating black triangles. You can search it out online. There are a bunch of youtube videos of a doctor named David Clark. He is considered an expert in treating black triangles with bonding. There are several doctors that do the same treatments as him. You can ask your local general dentist if he is using a product called Bioclear. They are forms that help the doctor inject composite around the base of your tooth to make it less triangular and also lowers the contact point closer to the bone crest. This will push up the gums into the space. It is a easy treatment. I have had it done and I love my smile!
I'm very interested in this treatment and I like the idea of how the bonding material can go around the teeth and "push" the gum to certain directions to make it look fuller.

It looked in those videos that the teeth looked much more fat after the bonding. Do yours look fat?

It appeared that Dr. Clark also did bonding on the front side of the teeth. So this is like the bonding version of veneer??

Thanks