SPACE MAINTAINERS

Maintaining Space For Adult Teeth

Space maintainers, commonly called spacers, are devices that are custom-made to fill the gap in a person’s teeth. They are most commonly used for children who have lost baby teeth prematurely, due to accidents or decay. They are custom-fit to each patient. Made of metal and/or plastic, space maintainers can be fixed (cemented) or removable, but either way, their purpose is the same: to help your child develop the best bite possible and hopefully avoid the need for braces later on.

Space maintainers, commonly called spacers, are devices that are custom-made to fill the gap in a person’s teeth. They are most commonly used for children who have lost baby teeth prematurely, due to accidents or decay. They are custom-fit to each patient. Made of metal and/or plastic, space maintainers can be fixed (cemented) or removable, but either way, their purpose is the same: to help your child develop the best bite possible and hopefully avoid the need for braces later on.

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Why Space Maintainers Are Necessary

Space maintainers are important to your child’s oral health because they prevent a number of complications from occurring. This is because your child’s permanent teeth are directly affected by their primary teeth and if these primary teeth are lost too soon, it tends to cause complications with the permanent teeth. These complications can include some or all of the following:

  • Lack of space for the permanent teeth

  • Increased risk of teeth becoming impacted or erupting improperly

  • Overcrowding, overlapping or crooked permanent teeth

  • Speech impediments

  • Malocclusion, misaligned bite

  • Increased need for orthodontic treatment

Space maintainers

What Are the Different Types of Space Maintainers?

There are two general categories of pediatric space maintainers and within these categories, there are different types of maintainers.

Fixed spacers are semi-permanent tooth fixtures that keep enough space open for the adult tooth to erupt. After the permanent tooth has grown in, the maintainer can be removed. There are four types of fixed spacers that a pediatric dentist can use to care for your child’s teeth.

Crown and Loop spacers include a crown placed over one tooth and a stainless steel wire loop. The loop presses against the tooth on the other side of the gap and keeps the gap open.

Distal Shoe space maintainers are only used for permanent first molars that have not grown in yet. They are usually inserted into the gum line after a baby molar falls out prematurely and guides the adult molar as it grows in. These maintainers require more care and attention from your child’s dentist.

Lingual space maintainers use wire and crowns to maintain spacing across several tooth gaps and are used if a child is missing teeth due to a congenital defect.

Unilateral spacers use a wire to maintain space between two teeth, similar to a crown and loop treatment but they use a wire that is wrapped around the teeth on either side of the gap.

Removable space maintainers are a good option if your child’s tooth is almost ready to erupt. These devices are similar to ones used in orthodontic treatments and can be customized for your child’s needs. Removable devices are usually not as effective at maintaining space as fixed devices.

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