DARK TRIANGLES: what, why, and how to hide them l Dr. Melissa Bailey

[@canelajoon]

I asked my ortho if he could do IPR on me and he said no because “that’s the shape of your teeth”. Period. And “you don’t want them to look like chiclets do you?” However my teeth are very trianglular shaped and I think minimizing their size wouldn’t hurt. But he gave me no health related reason, no information or option. He said to just smile with my mouth closed. The reason I got braces was to be happy with my smile & NOW he tells me that???!

[@mcrvm]

Had almost the same problem, got braces bc my teeth were really crooked and I had an overbite and overjet. Now that they're straight and I'm about to finish treatment I have those triangles and I absolutely hate them. Told my orthodontist to do IPR on me and he didn't want to bc it would change my teeth, he ended up "doing it" but my teeth look exactly the same and I hate them so much, he then told me he could do nothing about them like cmon

[@PeaceIsJesusChrist]

I feel so bad for y’all!! You put a lot of time, money & effort into this, and I hate that you’re not happy with the end results. 😔 Maybe it’s worth doing some composite work. Y’all have come so far. 🙏🏻

[@dawncephas3687]

​@@mcrvm I have them now and it's so irritating

[@betsyk22]

Something that would make this video better for new users would be defining the term IPR early and repeating the full term a time or two--Interproximal Reduction. I did look it up while the video was playing. Until then I wasn't sure whether this was some whitening procedure. I love your videos and have learned a lot!

[@TrayMinder]

That’s a very good point. Thanks for your feedback.

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you so much for posting this excellent video. I really appreciate it. Thank you for explaining the presence of dark triangles. Perhaps I will see these in myself as my Invisalign treatment progresses. I did not do a good job of taking care of my teeth over the decades. Now I am in my 60s and taking the steps that my dentist is recommending. I will see how it all progresses over the next few years.

[@lovelydaye6640]

What are insissors?

[@nmo246]

since i’ve had my invisalign i feel like i’ve been biting down on my teeth while i sleep. is this normal?

[@TrayMinder]

Yes, some people clench and grind more during sleep while undergoing clear aligner therapy.

[@schim516]

Me too. I never had that problem before. Good to know it’s normal.

[@brittany8533]

So helpful! Thank you!!

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks :)

[@Poo_78]

Is there a way to reduce their appearance? Like a more gentle oral hygiene routine? What products would you recommend to reduce the appearance of the triangles?

[@Poo_78]

Including types of toothpastes, mouthwashes, etc

[@TrayMinder]

Great question. Maintain healthy gums by flossing and brushing, visiting the dentist regularly are things that you can do. Other than that, rotated teeth, triangular shaped teeth, etc. are out of your control.

[@miss2slick]

Thank you!

[@TrayMinder]

You're welcome!

[@sophtunbridge6451]

I have a little black triangle between the front two teeth and a little one on the side from using the wrong floss, which caused me to pull the gum back behind my teeth and gave me a black triangle instantly and the illusion that I’ve got a gap going down between my teeth. My dentist told me to just live with it because no one was going to want to touch it because I already have straight teeth and that I should just be happy that I have such great teeth. I’ve been looking into IPR + Invisalign but I’m worried about the gum because it sits behind my teeth and not in between. I’ve tried to push the gum forward back into place but can’t as my teeth are so close together there’s no where for it to go. I’ve been wanting my orthodontist to separate my teeth just a little bit so that the gum would have room to get back between my teeth and then close it again whiles doing IPR.

[@patricialopez5358]

I’m looking to see if I can find a periodontist who can inject PRF into the papilla 🙏🏼

[@oganesswaryanbananthan2083]

May I know if you fixed this problem ? I have the same case like. My Ortho advised me to use interdental brush and it caused me gaps on front teeth which is so so ugly for me now 😢 and she doesn't want to do IPR as my teeth are already straight. The only way is to do filling but I wish I can fix this naturally

[@fahed3596]

i didn't have them before but when I went to the dentist to get my teeth polished i got them. will it go away?

[@TrayMinder]

That’s a common question. When the tartar build up (same color as teeth) gets removed (that’s good), the dark triangle becomes apparent. It’s pretty common with braces patients who didn’t floss regularly or see their dentist every six months.

[@earthbruja5268]

@@TrayMinder could it go away on its own?

[@BeBetterTomorrow321]

@@earthbruja5268 no

[@lynetterene]

I have the dark triangle on tray 22 out of 27 now. my bottom tray for 23 will be passive, while I still need work on upper teeth. it's really amazing on how they timed when I would be finished with the bottom teeth. it seems my right front tooth is turning in. My Ortho did not see concern as he said he could fix it.....any thoughts?

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your experience so far. Many patients will need additional aligners to touch up and detail out the alignment after the initial set.

[@shermainej5685]

I am about to commence clear aligners from home and my digital treatment plan shows some gap between the front teeth at the end of treatment from rotated tooth. I mentioned this and my customer service assistant said that gum would grow back? I've done some research but most sources say they don't grow back. I'm 21 atm so will the gum grow back or should I take that advice with a grain of salt? I don't get to speak directly to the orthodontist. 😥

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing. It’s hard to say if the gum papilla will be there once the rotation is corrected.

[@kite9039]

Why would someone have bone loss please?

[@TrayMinder]

Great question. It’s due to periodontal disease.

[@kite9039]

@@TrayMinder thanks for the response, I was told I have bone loss when I had my last check up. The dentist took a ex-ray because I said I can click my teeth back and forth, I do have a fair bit of gum recession, but I always believed that to be because of brushing to hard for most of my life. I would spread a toothbrush in two weeks and didn't notice the damage I caused to my gums till the dentist mentioned how badly my gums had receded. I had never had a filling till last year at 43 years old. I have never noticed any blood or sore gums so don't believe I have ever have gum disease. I'm now extremely worried about my gums and feel that they are still receding even though I brush lightly every day with an electric toothbrush brush. Can I get your thoughts on this please?

[@TrayMinder]

Your dentist can refer you to a periodontal specialist who can evaluate your condition and answer your questions. It’s good that you are taking action to care for your teeth and gums.

[@hannahtaylor8989]

Periodontal disease as well as old age

[@imeldacordova7908]

@@kite9039 i have same situation like you.. did they recommend you to have gum surgery?

[@Michelle-qd9gm]

I’ve got osteoporosis and spondylitis and IBD I’ve noticed black triangles at the front and the side of my front teeth this last few months I’ve had cancer as well are these any of the courses why I have them ??

[@TrayMinder]

Dark triangles can be caused by many factors. According to this article: “osteoporosis/osteopenia and estrogen deficiency are risk factors for alveolar bone density loss in postmenopausal women with a history of periodontitis.” scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=alveolar+bone+loss+osteoporosis&oq=alveolar+bone+loss+osteo#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DpqtqeXyl9bQJ

[@brittany8533]

If accommodating for the dark triangles with IPR was not a part of the initial Invisalign treatment, is this something you can add in the refinement stage? Also if there are other gaps/spaces along the side of other teeth can this also be an option?

[@TrayMinder]

Usually yes. Talk to your treating dental provider about your options.

[@andreapettius5584]

I did not ask for it in my refinements but it was done. I wore my last set of my initial trays for 3 weeks (waiting on refinements) and two problem teeth never moved into position correctly. Once they did IPR it made so much sense, now the teeth can move into position with less effort. Also, it did reduce the appearance of dark triangles in the location of those two teeth!

[@priankarai3968]

@@andreapettius5584 hi, did you do aligners for your triangle teeth with IPR ? I have dark triangle and i have been wanting to fix them with aligners and ipr but not sure if they work and wanted some feedback from someone who experienced that.

[@FEARisCOLD]

I’ve had some forming in my top front teeth for a few years now. My dentist says it’s not bad but I argue that they’re getting worse, I mean I see it everyday compared to seeing him every 6 months. Can you refer someone in nyc who specializes in papilla restructuring?

[@TrayMinder]

Try looking for a periodontist who may be experienced. This is not a common procedure for most dentist. Unfortunately I do not have a recommendation in NYC.

[@FEARisCOLD]

@@TrayMinder Appreciate it, thanks!

[@splanke5021]

While flossing my teeth papilla went backward . Now theres a gap on my front teeth . What should I do ?

[@TrayMinder]

Monitor for a few days and get an evaluation from a dentist.

[@TheBrcylmz]

I had the same thing happen to me, did it recover?

[@drewup7456]

I subbed. unfortunately I have this 😔

[@lynetterene]

No.....that's not a gap. I have a gap....lol 😊

[@honkymonkey9568]

the method I use to hide the triangles is sticking a little piece of chewing gun in there. Voila, a lot cheaper.

[@TrayMinder]

😉

[@DIYTFY]

Yum sesame seeds.

[@barryh.4220]

You CAN'T hide them without paying a lot of money out .... and in the UK most of us just don't have that kind of cash.