A space maintainer is an appliance that is made out of metal and placed into a child’s mouth to replace a lost, missing, or extracted tooth to maintain the space that was held by the lost tooth and allow for proper dental development.
When a baby tooth or teeth is/are lost prematurely due to dental trauma or dental caries, the empty spaces in your child’s smile can create serious dental and orthodontic issues because the rest of the teeth often drift and shift to fill the gap. This can lead to permanent teeth coming in crooked or not coming in at all (a condition referred to as tooth impaction). This can lead to crowding, difficulty maintaining proper dental hygiene and/or even difficulties with proper oral function (eating, speaking, talking). Dental space maintainers are a great way to keep that space open, so that permanent teeth are more likely to come in correctly aligned.
Losing a baby tooth early doesn’t always mean that your child will need a dental space maintainer. During your appointment, Dr. Hayley will examine your child’s case to determine what is needed.
Space maintainers can either be fabricated in the office as a single visit or fabricated by a laboratory as a two-part visit using a dental impression or mold depending on number and location of teeth lost. It may take a few days for your child to get used to wearing their space maintainer.
Help your child avoid sticky foods like gum, caramel, and candy. Additionally, discourage them from pushing the space maintainers with their tongue or fingers as this can loosen the appliance. Dr. Hayley will review how to properly clean and care for the space maintainer with you and your child.
Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions about an existing space maintainer or think your child may need one.
