Between each of your teeth is what is referred to as an “embrasure space,” which are typically filled in by a nice pink triangle of gum tissue (called a papilla) over the interdental bone. In some instances, the bone shrinks, or the teeth are too far apart, and the papilla loses its triangle shape and becomes blunted. When this happens, you can see a black triangle between your teeth, professionally referred to as an open embrasure space. These spaces can happen for many reasons, as listed in the table below.
| Reason | How It Causes Black Triangles |
| Genetics | - Some people have naturally small teeth, which leaves extra space between adjacent teeth and wider embrasure spaces.
- Genetics can also lead to malocclusions (e.g., underbite, overbite, crossbite, dental crowding). If your teeth aren’t properly positioned, it can cause extra space between teeth.
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| Trauma | - Trauma can change your gums in several ways. In fact, brushing your teeth too hard is a common cause of gingival recession and blunted papillas.
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| Tooth loss | - If you lose a tooth, often the bone that remains will recede (or shrink away) and can cause the gums on adjacent teeth to be blunted, causing black triangles.
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| Bone loss | - Your teeth are surrounded by the bone of your jaws (or alveolar bone). That bone volume may shrink over time or because of disease, and when it does, the overlying gum tissue shrinks with it. This shrinkage can cause open embrasure spaces as a result of bone loss.
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The team at Beverly Hills Orthodontics are experts in correcting black triangles and have fixed countless black triangle cases across Los Angeles. Since we began our practice in 2008, we have corrected black triangles at every office location, including Beverly Hills, Downtown LA, Studio City, and Alhambra. Dr. Monica Madan and the BHO team use Invisalign, braces, and other measures to eliminate black triangles and provide patients with flawless smiles.
