Protecting Your Child’s Future Smile
When a child loses a baby tooth too early, it can cause nearby teeth to shift and create alignment issues. Space maintainers help keep the proper spacing for permanent teeth to come in correctly. At Van Orman Dental, we offer custom-fitted space maintainers to ensure your child’s smile develops properly.
What Is a Space Maintainer?
A space maintainer is a small dental appliance that holds open the gap left by a missing baby tooth. This prevents surrounding teeth from moving into the empty space, allowing the permanent tooth to erupt in its correct position.
- Prevents crowding and misalignment
- Custom-made for a comfortable fit
- Simple, non-invasive solution
- Can be removable or fixed, depending on the case
Why Does Your Child Need a Space Maintainers?
When a baby tooth is lost too soon due to injury, decay, or extraction, nearby teeth may drift into the open space. This can:
- Causes crowding when adult teeth start growing in
- Lead to misalignment or bite problems
- Make future orthodontic treatment more complex
Types of Space Maintainers
There are two main types of space maintainers:
1. Fixed Space Maintainers (Most Common)
- Crown & Loop Used when a baby tooth is missing next to a permanent molar
- Lingual Holding Arch Maintains space for lower teeth (common in multiple tooth loss)
- Distal Shoe Guides the first permanent molar into place after early baby molar loss
- Band & Loop: A metal loop that holds space for a single missing tooth
2. Removable Space Maintainers
- Acrylic-based retainers that can be taken out for cleaning
- Often used when multiple teeth are missing
- Sometimes includes an artificial tooth for appearance
Caring for a Space Maintainers
Maintain good oral hygiene – Brush and floss around the space maintainers daily. Avoid sticky and hard foods to prevent damage to the appliance. Regular dental check-ups. Ensure the space maintainers is working properly. Don’t wiggle or play with it. Can loosen or damage the appliance.
How Long Will My Child Need a Space Maintainers?
The appliance will stay in place until the permanent tooth is ready to come in. This varies for each child. Regular check-ups allow us to monitor their growth and remove the space maintainer at the right time.
Give Your Child the Best Start for a Healthy Smile!
Protect your child’s future smile and prevent orthodontic issues by considering a space maintainers. Our team at Van Orman Dental is here to provide the best care for your child’s developing teeth.