The Need for Space Maintainer
The primary teeth play an important role in developing the jaw formation and to properly position the gums in the upcoming set of permanent teeth.
The 20 primary teeth are basically spaced sparingly to give room for the 32 permanent teeth to replace them.
Once the primary teeth extracted too early, chances are the jaw may not form well enough to make room for the permanent teeth; the muscles will not mature enough to support and guide the upcoming permanent teeth.
In this event, consultation to the dental professionals is advised to remove the possibility of malocclusions and other dental problems pertaining to the positioning of the permanent teeth.
Space maintainers are at times advised to be worn by the toddler to maintain enough space and have room for the future eruption of the permanent teeth.
They can be made with acrylic or metal material; can be removable or cemented in the child's mouth.
Two types of maintainers are categorized as removable or fixed.
A removable typeis usually of acrylic material and is used with an artificial tooth to temporarily fill the space until the time that the permanent tooth will erupt.
Fixed typesare further classified into four subtypes: unilateral, crown and loop, distal shoe and lingual.
Unilateral and crown loop are positioned on one side of the mouth to make the space open for one tooth.
Distal shoe is inserted in the gum line making it more complicated.
This is usually used for the first permanent molar tooth.
The lingual is cemented to the molar teeth and is connected with a wire inside the lower front teeth.
This is an option for more than one missing tooth.
Proper care should be maintained by both the parent and the child as the child wears a space maintainer.
It is important to follow a prescribed diet which may cause the space maintainer to function improperly.
Avoid chewing starchy foods, gums and candies to avoid the space maintainers to be pressed or pushed by the tongue or fingers.
The 20 primary teeth are basically spaced sparingly to give room for the 32 permanent teeth to replace them.
Once the primary teeth extracted too early, chances are the jaw may not form well enough to make room for the permanent teeth; the muscles will not mature enough to support and guide the upcoming permanent teeth.
In this event, consultation to the dental professionals is advised to remove the possibility of malocclusions and other dental problems pertaining to the positioning of the permanent teeth.
Space maintainers are at times advised to be worn by the toddler to maintain enough space and have room for the future eruption of the permanent teeth.
They can be made with acrylic or metal material; can be removable or cemented in the child's mouth.
Two types of maintainers are categorized as removable or fixed.
A removable typeis usually of acrylic material and is used with an artificial tooth to temporarily fill the space until the time that the permanent tooth will erupt.
Fixed typesare further classified into four subtypes: unilateral, crown and loop, distal shoe and lingual.
Unilateral and crown loop are positioned on one side of the mouth to make the space open for one tooth.
Distal shoe is inserted in the gum line making it more complicated.
This is usually used for the first permanent molar tooth.
The lingual is cemented to the molar teeth and is connected with a wire inside the lower front teeth.
This is an option for more than one missing tooth.
Proper care should be maintained by both the parent and the child as the child wears a space maintainer.
It is important to follow a prescribed diet which may cause the space maintainer to function improperly.
Avoid chewing starchy foods, gums and candies to avoid the space maintainers to be pressed or pushed by the tongue or fingers.