A space maintainer holds the place of a prematurely lost primary tooth, also known as a baby tooth. By occupying the space, it prevents other teeth from crowding the newly opened space. That way, space is maintained for the permanent tooth to come.
Your child may need a space maintainer if they lose a tooth too early or have to have a primary tooth removed because of decay.
Space maintainers are custom-made by a dentist or orthodontist. They can be made of either acrylic or metal. Some space maintainers are cemented into a child’s mouth, but others can be removed as needed.
Removable space maintainers are a lot like orthodontic appliances and often they are acrylic. In some cases, an artificial tooth may be used to fill the space that must remain open for the permanent tooth yet to come.
There are four different kinds of fixed space maintainers: unilateral, crown and loop, distal shoe and lingual.
- The unilateral space maintainer wraps around the outside of the tooth. It is connected to a metal loop that holds the needed space.
- The crown and loop is an actual crown that covers the tooth and is attached to a loop to ensure there is enough space.
- The distal shoe space maintainer is commonly used for an unerupted permanent molar. It is a more complicated space maintainer and often needs to be monitored by a dentist as the teeth grow.
- The lingual space maintainer is more permanently cemented to molar teeth and connected by a wire on the inside. This type of space maintainer is most commonly used when more than one tooth is missing.
Baby teeth help permanent teeth to position when they are lost. However, if space is not maintained, other teeth can move into the open space requiring more serious orthodontic treatment later. Not every child will need a space maintainer; check with your dentist to determine if your child needs one.
Sometimes it takes children some time to become accustomed to wearing a space maintainer, whether it is fixed or removable. Not to worry, the dentist will talk with your child about how to properly care for the space maintainer. The child will see the dentist on a regular basis to monitor treatment with the space maintainer and keep up with regular professional cleanings and dental appointments.