The maxillary interincisal diastema: How and when treat?

Renato Rodrigues de ALMEIDA, Daniela Gamba GARIB, Renata Rodrigues de ALMEIDA-PEDRIN, Marcio Rodrigues de ALMEIDA, Arnaldo PINZAN, Marisa Helena Zingaretti JUNQUEIRA

Nowadays, the diastemas between the upper central incisors are an antiaesthetic factor being greatly prejudicial in a social aspect. The differential diagnosis of this anomaly of occlusion must be realized as earlier as possible, not only to orientate the patients and their parents, but also to do the correct treatment, providing a pleasant esthetic and social comfort. In fact, the median diastema is considered a normal characteristic during the childhood and with the development of the occlusion there is a consequent physiological closure. The maintenance of these diastemas, depending on the etiology, that is multifactorial and normally related to a positive tooth-bone discrepancy, microdontia, upper lateral incisors agenesis, deleterious habits, erupted or intrabony supernumerary tooth, heredity, hypertrophic labial frenum and others. The main objective of this paper is to provide the necessary information to the reader about when (the right time) and how to manage for closing this space.

Keywords: Diastema. Labial frenum. Etiology. Orthodontic treatment.

Friday, May 03, 2024 19:22