Space Maintainer

A space maintainer is an appliance that is custom made by a pediatric dentist or orthodontist in acrylic or metal material. It can be cemented(fixed) or removable in a child’s mouth. 

If a child loses a milky tooth early or has a baby tooth extracted due to dental decay there are chances of closing the space. To keep the space open for allowing the permanent tooth to erupt and come into its place, a space maintainer is needed. 

Baby teeth are important to the development of permanent teeth, jaw bones and muscles. They help to guide permanent teeth into position. When the baby teeth are lost early and if space is not maintained, then teeth can shift into the open space making permanent teeth impacted and orthodontic treatment might be required. 

Wearing the space maintainer

Once the space maintainer is placed, it may take the child a few days to get accustomed to wearing the appliance whether it is removable or fixed. 

The child should be seen by our dentist on a regular basis to monitor the progress of treatment and condition of the space maintainer every six months.