It's common to see young children with gaps in their smile from missing baby teeth, so you might be surprised when your child's dentist recommends a space maintainer for your child. This oral device keeps space open for your child's permanent teeth to grow in properly when the baby teeth are lost too soon. A maintainer is not always needed, but when it is, it can prevent problems that might require braces to correct in the coming years. Here are some things to know about space maintainers.
Why A Space Maintainer Is Needed
Baby teeth are expected to fall out, but until they do, they play the important role of guiding the permanent teeth into place for proper alignment. When baby teeth are lost too soon, this can allow the teeth to shift and the permanent teeth to grow in at the wrong angle. This might require the use of braces to correct once the teeth are in.
Baby teeth can fall out too early due to trauma from a fall or accident. They may even be removed due to decay. When healthy baby teeth fall out, it's because the permanent teeth underneath them push them out. When the baby teeth fall out or are removed too soon, the permanent teeth aren't ready to erupt yet. This can lead to problems such as difficulty speaking properly, difficulty chewing and eating, as well as an impact on appearance when the front teeth are the ones affected.
How A Space Maintainer Works
Space maintainers are a common treatment in pediatric dentistry. There are several types, but there are two basic forms which are the fixed and removable options. Your child's dentist chooses the type of maintainer needed based on the location of the missing teeth and your child's age. The space maintainer is placed in the gap where teeth are missing.
This holds the nearby teeth in proper alignment so the permanent tooth or teeth have room to grow in. Once the permanent teeth are ready to erupt, the maintainer is removed. Space maintainers for the front teeth might even have artificial teeth attached so your child can develop normal speech and bite into food properly.
It may take your child a few days to get used to the feel of having a space maintainer, but after the initial period, there should be no discomfort. If your child has the removable type of maintainer, you'll want to make sure he or she wears it all the time as instructed or it won't be effective. This simple oral device can make a difference in the way your child's teeth develop into a beautiful smile, and it could save you from expensive orthodontic care in the future.
Share14 August 2018
Halloween is a holiday that my children love, and telling them they can't go door-to-door collecting candy would break their hearts. This led me to allowing them to collect candy on the holiday, then rationing it out to them every day instead of letting them gobble it up in just a few days. I always thought this was better for them, but my dentist told me this could be the reason why their February dental check-ups were always their worst ones. Daily candy consumption was taking a toll on their teeth. I started a new tradition of letting them indulge for two days, then giving them the option to swap the rest with me in exchange for a new toy. They never pass on the opportunity for a new toy. I created this blog to encourage other parents find similar tactics to keep their children's teeth healthy after Halloween.