Space Maintainers
When there is a premature loss of a primary tooth, it is necessary to place a space maintainer. Each primary tooth has a permanent tooth that will come in after it falls out. Normally the permanent tooth is right below the primary tooth and comes into mouth soon after the primary tooth exfoliates. If a primary tooth comes out early and nothing is done to keep the teeth in position, the teeth adjacent to the lost tooth will start to tip and drift into the open space. This will cause the available space to get smaller and the new tooth that will erupt later will not have adequate room. If a primary molar is lost at age five or six, the permanent tooth will not come in until age eleven or twelve. A space maintainer is an appliance that is fixed or removable and is made of acrylic or metal. A fixed space maintainer comes in two varieties, a unilateral (band and loop) or bilateral (lingual or palatal arch). The band is fit on the tooth behind the missing tooth, and a wire is attached near the gum line connecting to the tooth in front of the space. This prevents any shifting in either direction of the adjacent teeth. The removable space maintainer is similar to an acrylic retainer that is used after braces to hold the teeth position. There are indications for each type.© The Center for Pediatric Dental Care
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