You may have heard people casually refer to someone’s teeth as “gap teeth” or “open teeth,” especially in everyday Nigerian conversations. While the terms are widely used, they aren’t medically accurate. The correct name for this dental condition is diastema — and it’s more common than you think. In this post, we’ll break down what diastema really is, why it occurs, whether it needs treatment, and other surprising health facts you should know.
Diastema (pronounced die-AS-teh-ma) is the space or gap between two teeth, most commonly the upper front teeth. It’s a natural variation in dental alignment and can affect both children and adults……CONTINUE READING