What is meant by dental space maintainer?
The baby teeth should stay in their places until the permanent teeth push out the milk teeth and hold their distinct places. Usually, this process takes place when an individual is 5 or 6 years old. It means milk teeth should need proper care even though they tend to fall out.
If a baby tooth comes out before than expected, some supplementary activities are indispensable to preserve the space left by the missing tooth. This is because the bone under the lost tooth begins to dwindle which makes the permanent teeth grow at abnormal positions, become misaligned or overcrowded.
In simply, premature tooth loss is the main culprit behind crooked and crowded teeth. Usually, orthodontists and kids dentists recommend an apparatus called “Space Maintainers” to prevent the disastrous effects of early tooth loss.
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What are space maintainers?
Space maintainers are a kind of orthodontic appliance prescribed for kids who lost teeth early irrespective of the causes such as cavities, injuries, genetics, or others. As the name implies, this device preserves the gap left by a missing tooth until the permanent teeth are fully developed and take their natural position in the jaw.
Thus the space maintaining appliances hold the space until the adult teeth grow in and guide the adult teeth to erupt correctly.
What are the different types of space maintainers?
The space maintainers are constructed in a way to fit all areas of a toddler’s mouth. and the device is classified into 3 types as follow:
1) Fixed unilateral appliances
The fixed space maintaining appliances are semi-permanent devices that can be removed only after the permanent teeth begin to erupt. Unilateral appliances are recommended to protect the space on one side of the mouth alone. It is categorized into 2 types with the components they hold to conserve the space.
- Loop and band space maintainer – It contains a metal loop for preserving space and band with which the apparatus is wrapped around the adjacent tooth for support.
- Distal shoe – The distal shoes are prescribed if a kid loses its primary second molar and is applicable for a single missing tooth. The apparatus is made up of stainless steel and has a hook-like structure mounted to the neighboring tooth of the missing molar and is elongated over the missing tooth space.
2) Fixed bilateral appliances
If your kid has a missing tooth on both sides of the mouth, the bilateral space maintainers will be the right choice. It involves 3 types as follows:
- Transpalatal arch – This space holder is the best choice to maintain gaps left by the missing teeth on both sides of the upper jaw. It has a 36-mil palatal wire and two metal bands with which the molars on both sides of the upper jaw are connected to preserve the missing teeth space.
- Lower Lingual Holding Arch (LLHA) – Aside from protecting the space left by missing teeth, this apparatus aims at preventing the teeth from moving. Similar to the transpalatal arch, the LLHA maintains the space by connecting the banded molars on both sides of the lower jaw.
- Nance Arch – It works exactly how the way LLHA maintains the gap in the jaw and has the components same as LLHA but it contains an additional acrylic button that can fit well with the palate. It has made the appliance applicable for maintaining the space and preventing teeth from moving in the upper jaw alone.
3) Removable Space Maintainers
The removable space maintaining appliance is suitable when your kid lost more than one tooth on either side of the mouth. It is a custom-made denture that is helpful in maintaining the space as well as hiding the unaesthetic appearance caused by the missing teeth space.
Besides kids, the removable appliance is prescribed for older kids and teens.
How should you take care of the space holding appliance?
Keep in mind that the space maintainer’s form should not be disrupted else it will harm the existing milk teeth. Make sure your little champ does not play around with the space maintainers. Don’t feed hard foods, sticky and sugary foods while wearing the maintainer.
It is because extreme pressure applied while biting and brushing teeth to remove the sticky substances will alter the appliance shape.
Bottom line
You should neglect your toddler’s premature tooth loss as it will have adverse effects on facial development in adulthood. It is also linked to teeth misalignment, bite problems, malocclusion, etc. Hence you should consider wearing space maintainers for your kid until the permanent teeth grow in.
