What are Space Maintainers

What are Space Maintainers?

Orthodontic devices known as space maintainers are utilized in paediatric dentistry. These tools’ principal purpose is to control the early loss of an infant’s teeth.

Additionally, these tools aid in the avoidance of overcrowding, malocclusions (tooth out of alignment), and other orthodontic issues.

Space maintainers make a guarantee that permanent teeth do not emerge into the vacant space left by a child’s early tooth loss. Trauma, illness, crowding, or decay are among the potential causes of tooth loss. Early tooth loss might also cause the upper and lower jaws to develop improperly.

Early Tooth Loss or Extraction Due to Baby Tooth Decay

Baby teeth are frequently extracted as a result of tooth decay, which affects them easily. Because baby tooth enamel is more brittle than the enamel of permanent teeth, cavities frequently develop on a child’s molars.  Even when baby teeth fall out, maintaining them is still important. The bacteria that cause cavities can spread to adjacent teeth if one tooth becomes infected and isn’t treated right away.

A dental restoration is required if a child gets a cavity in a baby tooth to avoid tooth decay spreading, early tooth loss, crowding, and misalignment.

Amalgam, composite, or stainless steel crowns are among the possibilities for infant teeth restoration.

To avoid crowding or misalignment as permanent teeth erupt, space maintainers are inserted.

When to Consider Space Maintainers?

 Regardless of the cause of a child’s missing primary teeth, space maintainers should be taken into consideration to make sure their permanent teeth develop properly. A youngster runs the danger of other teeth becoming loose because they aren’t being adequately supported if one primary tooth is gone for longer than a brief period. The loose teeth may then shift into the gaps meant for other teeth if this takes place. When permanent teeth erupt, this causes them to erupt into the wrong locations. Let’s say your youngster loses their primary teeth to create room for their soon-to-erupt permanent teeth. Fitting maintainers might not be essential in the scenario. However, if your child’s permanent teeth are still a while off, the dentist may suggest space maintainers as a good alternative.

Types of Space Maintainer Appliances

There are two different kinds of space maintainers: fixed and mobile. Artificial teeth or blocks formed of a dental material are used to hold open the voids by removable devices, which are composed of acrylic. An older youngster who can remove the item for cleaning and maintenance will get better use out of this gadget. Children who have multiple missing teeth can wear partial dentures as removable maintainers.

Dental cement is used to affix fixed maintainers to the teeth next to the gap. Young children or anyone who have lost a rear tooth should avoid these. Bilateral appliances are fixed on both sides, whereas unilateral maintainers are fixed on just one. To retain room for the front or back teeth, they can be installed on either the upper or lower jaw. Depending on the number and location of missing teeth, your dentist will propose a certain device.

Band-and-loop device

This stainless steel wire appliance is kept in place by orthodontic bands so that the permanent tooth can erupt without being obstructed. When one or more infant molars in a single dental arch are lost, it is used.

Lingual holding arch

The space for the lower back teeth is preserved on both sides of the mouth with this device.

Transpalatal arch

To maintain room on both sides of the dental arch, a transpalatal arch is fitted to the upper jaw and secured in place by a wire wrapped around the neighboring teeth.

Distal shoe appliance

The baby’s first molar is covered by this fixed appliance. Once the tooth is lost, it keeps the area open for the first permanent molar.