# What causes sudden huge front-teeth gaps in women in their 30s? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039 "2014-10-11T15:14:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/21 "2014-10-11T22:40:14Z")
Maybe she used to have crowns and when they were replaced, the gap was enlarged. That happened to me (though not to this extent) when I had to have replacements installed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/22 "2014-10-11T22:46:53Z")
Caused by not giving enough blow-jobs. Take heed, ladies. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/23 "2014-10-11T22:49:00Z")
I had adult orthodontal work that included palate widening. I had surgery and then had to crank a spreader to widen my palate. It opened up a full 1 cm gap between my front two teeth over the course of a month or two. But obviously I had braces at the time which act as a kind of “under construction” sign. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/24 "2014-10-12T00:23:25Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > Huh? Lauren Hutton’s not dead. > So the gap you saw in her mouth was about the size of a tooth? Perhaps she, you know, lost a tooth. No it is a midline diastema. No missing teeth. > [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Maybe she used to have veneers that hid that gap, and had recently lost one or both or had them removed for some reason. She used to place a removable appliance when she was working. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/25 "2014-10-12T00:33:28Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > She used to place a removable appliance when she was working. Sorry, by “she” I meant the woman mentioned in the OP, not the venerable (but not dead!) Ms. Hutton. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/26 "2014-10-12T01:34:03Z")
I’m not sure why, but in my 40’s, a gap started to appear between my front teeth. It went from barely noticeable to big enough to shove a toothpick through in a few years. I hated it - it wasn’t my smile when I looked in the mirror. Dental care is expensive, and I had no benefits at the time and could not afford to do anything about it, so I just had to live with it. When I finally got a job with dental benefits, I started on the journey to fixing the gap in my front teeth. Turns out years of bad dental hygiene required periodontal care and once that was under control, I was able to see an orthodontist and get rid of the gap. My benefits didn’t cover everything, but did cover a significant portion and without them, I would never have been able to afford any kind of dental care. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/27 "2014-10-13T20:27:53Z")
Periodontal disease can get anyone, even people with good dental care (I’ve had good dentistry forever, and brush 2x a day, and see the dentist, etc. Still have it; I was damned because BOTH of my parents have the condition. No escaping.). I believe that there are a number of risk factors, and also I have read that there is a bacterial component. Theoretically it could be spread by kissing. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/28 "2014-10-13T21:46:04Z")
If my recollection of the medical literature is correct, such a gap indicates that the woman is extremely lustful and promiscuous. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/29 "2014-10-13T23:48:29Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > If my recollection of the medical literature is correct, such a gap indicates that the woman is extremely lustful and promiscuous. Chaucer was a doctor? LoL! It’s also true that dentists won’t let you near their offices when you are pregnant. I never could get a logical answer as to why. So any dental issues that she had were forced to wait, and she probably won’t have the time or money to deal with it until the child is at least four years old. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/30 "2014-10-14T01:39:20Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > No it is a midline diastema. No missing teeth. > > She used to place a removable appliance when she was working. > [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Sorry, by “she” I meant the woman mentioned in the OP, not the venerable (but not dead!) Ms. Hutton. 😃 I didn’t know you knew her… or Ms. Hutton. Do say hi… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/31 "2014-10-14T02:10:18Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Chaucer was a doctor? LoL! > > It’s also true that dentists won’t let you near their offices when you are pregnant. I never could get a logical answer as to why. So any dental issues that she had were forced to wait, and she probably won’t have the time or money to deal with it until the child is at least four years old. Yeah, I can attest to this. Before I found out I was pregnant I realized I had a cavity and made a dental appointment for April 3rd. I found out I was pregnant on April 1st. When I got to the dentist they cleaned my teeth but refused to do anything else and it wasn’t until my daughter was about 14 months old that I was able to go to the dentist again, this time with a root canal instead of a cavity. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/32 "2014-10-14T06:07:58Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Caused by not giving enough blow-jobs. > > Take heed, ladies. This is out of line and uncalled for in this thread. Don’t make sexual comments in threads not about them again. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/33 "2014-10-15T03:35:07Z")
Can’t speak for all dentists but we work on pregnant women all the time. Have to change some things but can do almost anything. I’ve done root canals on pregnant women. Extract teeth and fillings all the time. Now at the very beginning we try to limit all work, medications and radiographs but it depends on the situation. If someone walks in with an abscess, swelling and pain even during the first trimester the are going to be x-rayed and get a root canal or extraction. Is such work stressful to the baby, sure. Is an active infection worse, of course. It is all judgement. If someone is at 8 months and say they want veneers on all their teeth to look good in the delivery room, it ain’t gonna happen. Generally work is to be avoided in the first trimester and last month but pretty safe the rest of the time. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/34 "2014-10-15T14:49:10Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Can’t speak for all dentists but we work on pregnant women all the time. Have to change some things but can do almost anything. > > I’ve done root canals on pregnant women. Extract teeth and fillings all the time. > > Now at the very beginning we try to limit all work, medications and radiographs but it depends on the situation. If someone walks in with an abscess, swelling and pain even during the first trimester the are going to be x-rayed and get a root canal or extraction. Is such work stressful to the baby, sure. Is an active infection worse, of course. It is all judgement. > > If someone is at 8 months and say they want veneers on all their teeth to look good in the delivery room, it ain’t gonna happen. > > Generally work is to be avoided in the first trimester and last month but pretty safe the rest of the time. Ignorance fought. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/35 "2014-10-16T02:31:11Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Caused by not giving enough blow-jobs. > > Take heed, ladies. Thank you, **Gatopescado**. It’s about time \*somebody \*here brought science into the thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039/36 "2014-10-16T22:48:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Caused by not giving enough blow-jobs. > > Take heed, ladies. Well, good then. No worrying about tooth gaps for me. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-sudden-huge-front-teeth-gaps-in-women-in-their-30s/701039.md?page=1)