Space Maintainers

Primary teeth, often referred to as baby teeth, serve as placeholders for the permanent teeth that will eventually erupt. When a primary tooth is lost before
its natural time due to decay, trauma, or other reasons, it can lead to several complications.
One of the primary concerns is the potential for neighboring teeth to drift into the space left by the missing tooth. This can result in crowding issues and
misalignment of the developing permanent teeth, leading to orthodontic problems in the future.
Space maintainers are dental devices used to prevent this unwanted movement of teeth following premature primary tooth loss. They are custom-made
appliances that hold the space open, ensuring that there is enough room for the permanent tooth to erupt correctly.

Space maintainers

Space maintainers are dental devices used to prevent this unwanted movement of teeth following premature primary tooth loss. They are custom-made appliances that hold the space open, ensuring that there is enough room for the permanent tooth to erupt correctly.

Space maintainers come in various forms:

  • Band-and-loop
  • Distal shoe
  • Lingual arch

The choice of design depends on factors such as the location of the missing tooth and the age of the child. Properly fitted space maintainers can significantly reduce the need for extensive orthodontic treatment in the future and contribute to the overall oral health of the child.
space maintainers hold space inside the mouth to allow for uncomplicated or uninhibited eruption of permanent teeth. A child’s baby teeth are natural space maintainers; however, there are situations in which assistance may be needed to create or maintain space inside the mouth:

  • Overcrowding inside the mouth. Baby molars are smaller than the permanent molars that will replace them. If there are indications that a child’s teeth
    may become overcrowded as permanent teeth erupt, we will insert a space maintainer for orthodontic purposes. This will prevent the drifting of the
    permanent molars, which will decrease overcrowding in the long-term.
  • Children can lose baby teeth prematurely for various reasons, an example of which would be an extraction. When a child loses a tooth that will not be
    immediately replaced by a permanent tooth, we’ll insert a space maintainer to hold the space until the permanent tooth erupts. Doing this ensures the
    surrounding teeth stay put and don’t shift into voided area.