A Literature Review of the Treatment of Black Triangles

Black triangles are a result of periodontal disease and can also be a response to treatment and return of health. They can also be a result of orthodontic treatment and tooth and root shape and position. They are perceived as unaesthetic and there is an increase in the demand for treatment. This paper will look at some of the treatment options that are available to treat black triangles. The treatment is often multidisciplinary and can involve orthodontics, surgery and restorative. As aim of this thesis is to aid the prediction of black triangles, as a solution to them needs to be sought. This paper explores the treatment of black triangles to help the clinician give the patients the options if it is predicted a black triangle may be present. Method: An OVID MEDLINE search was undertaken using the term Black triangle AND treatment. This yielded 32 papers and of these 14 were related to dental black triangles. These 14 papers were the hand searched for their cited references and this yielded an additional 17 papers. Conclusion: The treatment for black triangles can be difficult and in the case of surgical management very unpredictable. More research into simple predictable management needs to take place.