How to Tell if You Have Short Teeth
When you look at your teeth in the mirror, are they as even and healthy-looking as you want them to be? For many people, a person’s smile is the first thing they notice when they meet someone new. It’s common for each smile to have some quirks, but some imperfections are less desirable than others. For example, when a person’s teeth are severely misaligned or significantly discolored, treatment that corrects and improves the appearance of the smile is usually a priority. If your smile seems off to you and you can’t really tell why, ask yourself if you might have short teeth. If your teeth appear disproportionately short, narrow, or both in relation to the rest of your smile, it might be most apparent in contrast with the gums, with the surrounding teeth, or both. If your teeth don’t seem like they’re large enough to complete your smile, you might think that your mouth is too big, though it may actually be the case that your teeth are too small; inversely, if you have a gummy smile, your teeth might appear small because you have an excess of gum tissue.
These are just a few ways that a person’s smile might be affected by short teeth. Even though it might be difficult to determine why your teeth appear short on your own, a consultation with your dentist can help provide answers and solutions. Sometimes, the teeth may look like they lie too low on the gums, or perhaps the adult teeth look more like baby teeth; in less common cases, the teeth might not even touch each other because they’re so narrow. When the teeth are severely undersized, which is more rare, the condition could even interfere with comfortable eating and clear speaking. Beyond the aesthetic concerns these and other issues might cause, short teeth can cause functional issues that only a dental team can prevent.
There are a few different factors that can lead to the appearance of short or small teeth. Some genetic factors lead people to have smaller-than-average teeth or more prominent gum tissue – or both. When several members of a family have similarly small teeth, it’s safe to say that the cause is simple heredity. Sometimes, this is because the rate of tooth eruption varies and leads to shorter teeth, though this isn’t the only genetic contributor. In some cases, the appearance of excessive gum tissue is caused by inflammation, gum disease, or systemic causes, and this swelling, called gingival hyperplasia, makes the teeth appear smaller than they actually are. In many cases, this issue resolves as swelling diminishes with treatment of the underlying issue. Some medications can also cause gingival hyperplasia, which, in these cases, is called drug-induced gingival overgrowth.
While sometimes the teeth simply appear smaller or shorter relative to the gum tissue, in some cases, the teeth are actually physically smaller than normal. This could happen because of long-term wear, like the excessive pressure placed on the teeth while chronically clenching the teeth or grinding the jaw, or because of erosion of the teeth caused by excessive exposure to acidic compounds. If your smile appears off to you and it looks like you have short teeth, talk to your dentist. In some cases, treating the underlying condition will resolve the problem. In others, cosmetic treatments like porcelain veneers or dental bonding might restore the appearance and balance of the smile. In light of the vast array of potential causes for short teeth, there are just as many solutions, and your dentist can help you figure out which ones are best for you.