It is not uncommon for babies to lose their baby teeth. However, losing teeth prematurely can be a problem. Many parents in Thornton do not do anything about their children losing their teeth early. Early loss can often happen due to trips, falls, and other accidents. Unfortunately, when the permanent teeth erupt, it can cause problems.
There are various types of space maintainers, and the one your child needs depends on the teeth they have lost. If your child has lost their baby teeth early, Thornton children’s dentistry may recommend space maintainers for them. They are dental equipment that ensures there is plenty of space for permanent teeth. It preserves the space and ensures long-term healthy smiles.
What are space maintainers?
Space maintainers are dental devices that are placed on maintaining the gap that is caused by a lost milk tooth, and the permanent one is yet to come. There are four types of space maintainers that doctors can recommend if your child has one or more missing teeth. These are as follows:
- Unilateral: This space maintainer is used to fill the space caused by one missing tooth. To secure the tooth, one side of the maintainer is wrapped around it, and the other side consists of a metal loop to maintain the space.
- Distal shoe: Distal shoe maintainers are used for slow-growing molars. It is fitted into your gum line to hold the space.
- Lingua: Lingua space maintainers are for when several teeth are gone. It is fixed to the molars of both sides of your mouth.
- Crown and loop: It is very similar to unilateral space maintainers. The only difference is that it is affixed to a crown to ensure there is enough space for the emerging teeth.
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Why might your child need space maintainers?
Space maintainers are not really required if your child loses a baby tooth. However, they are only needed if your child loses a baby tooth before the permanent tooth is ready to come in through the gumline. This often occurs due to tooth decay. However, in other cases, it occurs naturally.
The dentist may recommend space maintainers for your child in the following situations:
- There are increased risks that your child’s teeth may become impacted or erupt abnormally.
- Lack of space for the permanent teeth to erupt into.
- Your child has overlapping or overcrowded permanent teeth.
- Your child has a misaligned bite.
How do you take care of space maintainers?
Encourage kids to brush and floss daily to help remove any leftover food particles or debris between the space maintainers. Ask them to stay away from chewy or hard foods as it can cause irreparable damage to the maintainers. Do not forget to visit the pediatric dentist for regular checkups of your child’s dental health.
