Space Maintainers: How to Ensure Your Kids have Perfect Teeth

Your children's baby teeth are simply a blueprint of what they are going to look like in the future. If the teeth are lost earlier than expected, it can adversely affect the permanent ones that are on their way. The only way to make sure that the loss of baby teeth does not impact the emergence of the permanent teeth is through use of space maintainers.

Why does my child need a maintainer?
Your dentist may recommend a space maintainer in two separate instances – when the baby tooth falls out much ahead of schedule, or if the baby tooth falls out on time, but the permanent tooth has still not emerged.  

The dentist then decides on whatever type of space maintainer suits your child. Space maintainers can be made from stainless steel or plastic. They can also come in the form of removable or fixed maintainers. If your child is too young to follow the cleaning routines that come with a removable maintainer, then it is likely that the dentist will decide on a fixed one.

You must have seen kids with plain metal wire around their teeth and metal bits (or crowns) over all or some of the teeth. These are known as band-and-loop fixed maintainers. These are several other types as well that your dentist will recommend depending on your child's age as well the condition of the teeth. A lingual arch may be used when there are missing back teeth on the lower jaw. A distal shoe appliance is used when a baby tooth falls out before the first permanent molar has emerged into his mouth.

Don’t worry if the size of the space maintainer is going to fit into your child’s mouth. Every space maintainer is specially made for the patient. Your dentist or orthodontist will specifically create one that is customized to your child's mouth. In case there are too many teeth missing, then the dentist may suggest a partial denture, and not space maintainers. That happens in cases like a dental condition called ectodermal dysplasia in which there are several primary teeth missing in the child, and permanent teeth to replace these missing teeth do not ever merge. In such cases, the child may have to be fitted with dentures that he may need to wear well into adulthood.

Taking care of your space maintainers
There is a good chance that your child is going to be initially upset about the space maintainer. There may be some prickling and discomfort, and a whole lot of complaining!  Explain that the device is only to be used for a few days. and that he will get used to it in a few days' time.  Kids get used to the maintainer over a few weeks. Regular speech may be affected by the use of the maintainer, but this problem wears off once the child gets used to the feel of the maintainer in this mouth.

Cut don on chewy candies. Don't allow him to push the maintainer with his tongue or hand. Brushing regularly is also an essential part of maintainer maintenance.