Not sure what the "problem" is. You didn't say. Yes, dilation will make gaps closer, of course. Do you not want the gaps to get smaller? Be very explicit in what the "problem" is and what you'd like as an output.
Perhaps you want to use bwmorph with the 'thicken' option which will dilate but not connect previously unconnected pixels.
Perhaps you want to look into edge linking options. I've attached a few demos for you.
