Black Triangles

Definition

A Black Triangle is the space or gap seen at the cervical embrasure, below the contact point of some teeth. The interdental gingiva doesn’t fully fill the void between teeth at the gingival margin.

Causes

Black triangles can happen with any method of alignment, including traditional braces. This is a natural consequence of alignment correction, so it can’t always be avoided.

Black Triangles can be caused by any of the following:

• Shape of teeth
• Position of teeth
• Gingival recession
• Lack of papilla once teeth are aligned

Solutions

If a gap remains after the aligners come off, additional orthodontic treatment may be required to close it. Here are a few solutions that might work for your patient:

• In the case of black triangles, perform IPR at the point of contact to allow the affected teeth to come together.
• Restorative therapy might be in order to fill smaller gaps caused by insufficient interdental gingiva.
• Reconstructive periodontal therapy, also known as “periodontal plastic surgery” or “gingival graft“, may also be considered to increase interdental papilla height and volume to fill the black triangle void.
• The digital power chain is a valuable technique that eliminates gaps by bringing the teeth closer together.