Space Maintainers for Pediatric Patients

Author: Dr. Rima Solanki, DMD

As a parent, you may have heard your dentist recommending space maintainers for your child if there is a premature loss of a baby tooth. Baby teeth are referred to a primary teeth in dentistry. The reason why your child may need a space maintainer is to make sure that the permanent tooth which will subsequently replace the primary tooth has enough space to erupt into the correct position. If the space is not maintained, permanent teeth that grow before age 6 or 7 will begin to shift and the net result will lead to the loss of space for other permanent teeth to successfully move into their proper position. At Spring Lake Dental Group, we recommend four types of fixed space maintainers. There are nance appliances for upper arch, lower lingual arch for lower arch, band and loop and distal shoe that can be used for the upper and lower arch. For more information, please consult with one of the dentists at Spring Lake Dental Group if you have any questions or concerns.