Space Maintainers for Kids
Lost a baby tooth way before it should have? It happens. A space maintainer keeps the room open so the adult tooth has a clear path to come in straight.
Lost a baby tooth way before it should have? It happens. A space maintainer keeps the room open so the adult tooth has a clear path to come in straight.
Baby teeth aren’t just placeholders, but holding the space is a big part of their job. When a primary tooth comes out early (from injury, decay, or extraction), the teeth on either side start to drift into the gap. That can crowd the adult tooth out of alignment, force it to come in sideways, or block it from coming in at all.
AAPD recommends evaluating space whenever a primary tooth is lost early. Sometimes a maintainer is needed. Sometimes the timing means it isn’t. We’ll tell you which.
Most are a small metal band that hugs a tooth, with a thin wire loop that holds the open space. They’re mostly hidden, especially on back teeth. Some kids have a removable version that looks more like a small retainer.
Eating and talking feel weird for a day or two. After that, kids forget it’s there. Brushing around it takes 10 extra seconds. Skip sticky candy and chewing on ice.
Until the adult tooth is ready to come in. We watch this at every cleaning visit. When the timing is right, the maintainer comes out and the adult tooth has a clear space to work with.
A confident smile can make a big difference in your child's life. We're here to help every young patient achieve a healthy smile they can be proud to share.