Which procedure is indicated for diastema greater than 2 mm?

Which procedure is indicated for diastema greater than 2 mm?

• A. Frenectomy
• B. Edgewise appliance
• C. Serial extraction
• D. Reverse pull headgear

Answer: (A)

A diastema caused by a thick, restrictive labial frenum is best managed by frenectomy because removing the tissue that pulls the incisors apart addresses the underlying cause of the gap. Once the frenum no longer tethers the teeth, the space can close with normal eruption, settling, or with subsequent orthodontic help. For a gap larger than 2 mm, simply relying on natural closure is less predictable, so surgical release of the frenum followed by orthodontic guidance is the appropriate route. The other approaches—using braces to close the space, extracting teeth to manage spacing, or using headgear for bite correction—do not specifically address the etiologic frenum pull responsible for the diastema.

A diastema caused by a thick, restrictive labial frenum is best managed by frenectomy because removing the tissue that pulls the incisors apart addresses the underlying cause of the gap. Once the frenum no longer tethers the teeth, the space can close with normal eruption, settling, or with subsequent orthodontic help. For a gap larger than 2 mm, simply relying on natural closure is less predictable, so surgical release of the frenum followed by orthodontic guidance is the appropriate route. The other approaches—using braces to close the space, extracting teeth to manage spacing, or using headgear for bite correction—do not specifically address the etiologic frenum pull responsible for the diastema.