What is a Pediatric Space Maintainer?
A pediatric dental spacer is used to address early tooth loss in children. If a child loses a tooth prematurely due to injury or decay, this can create a space that results in long-term alignment problems.
The appliance is inserted into the child's mouth and cemented onto the nearby teeth with bands, wires, and acrylic. Removable maintainers can be taken in and out by the child or parent and often consist of a plastic or acrylic base with wires or bands for stabilization.
Why Would My Child Need a Tooth Space Maintainer?
Space Maintainers are needed when a primary tooth is lost prematurely due to decay or injury. The gap left needs to be held open for the permanent tooth to erupt in the correct position. Space maintainers do not guarantee prevention of orthodontic treatment in the future. Plastic teeth may be used to cover the empty space (pedo-partial) at the discretion of the doctor.
Space maintainers are cemented in the mouth by temporary cement and may become loose with time. Care must be taken to avoid loss or damage to the space maintainer. Sticky foods such as caramels, taffy, and chewing gum can pull the space maintainer off.
Types of Space Maintainers
Now let’s take a look at the different space maintainers for pediatric dentistry:
Fixed Space Maintainer
A band and loop pediatric spacer is the most common type. This is where a metal band gets placed around the adjacent teeth and a wire holds everything in place. A distal shoe is used when the second molar is lost before the first and this helps guide the erupting permanent molar into place.
Removable Space Maintainer
Removable partial dentures are like small dental appliances with artificial teeth, and they are used to maintain space in multiple-tooth loss cases. The reason someone would choose to use a removable pediatric dental space maintainer is due to dental spacer cost or individual need based on the child's development.
Do You Need Spacers for Kids?
If your child loses a baby tooth before it naturally falls out, they are at risk of having their teeth shift which can cause long term oral hygiene issues. By getting your child a spacer now, you’re preventing complex orthodontic issues that may require extensive treatment later in life.
Spacer maintainers are customized to fit the individual child's dental needs and are an essential tool in pediatric dentistry to promote healthy dental development. Regular check-ups with a dentist are necessary to monitor the progress and ensure the maintainer remains effective.
