Diastema is a situation when two adjacent teeth do not meet or touch, or say, there exists a gap or open space between the teeth. More than any medical reasons, the correction for these teeth is addressed from cosmetic dentistry angle. There are two most common reasons why the gaps exist between the teeth. These are an arch length discrepancy (teeth are too narrow for the arch that supports them), or because there are congenitally missing teeth. The remaining teeth then either shift or merely don't touch the next available tooth. The spaces between the teeth can be just a fraction of a millimeter wide or so wide that a straw can easily fit between the teeth. The missing teeth can and often do cause a cosmetic problem. In the present culture of paying more attention to the smile designing, spaces or gaps between teeth are not regarded as being desirable or attractive.

The diastema closure can be done by taking the treatment option of orthodontics or dental restoration like bonding or porcelain veneers. But a space which is a bit large and closed with composite results in teeth that are esthetically too wide, then orthodontics is recommended. Space closure requires placement of composite on the two adjacent teeth. Placement of composite onto one tooth can be done if proper tooth dimensions allow it. If the patient does tongue thrusting or teeth grind (bruxism), then porcelain crowns would be the right choice. As a rule of thumb for small spaces, a bonded resin will work well; for larger spaces, orthodontic braces and porcelain must be considered. Porcelain and resin both can be made to exactly match your existing tooth. It is important to note that teeth can be whitened, but dental materials such as porcelains and resins cannot be whitened. The restorations are placed to match your tooth color at the time they are placed, so tooth whitening has to come first.