Tooth Space Maintainers: What They Are, Types, and Care Tips

Does your child have teeth dropping, and you think nothing about it? This is when you must take care of your child’s oral hygiene by checking on decay and damaged teeth. The kids lose their baby teeth, leaving empty spaces that must be maintained well with the tooth space maintainers.

In this blog, we will share details about the teeth appliances that help after permanent teeth eruption in kids. Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics offers expert kids’ dental consultation services. Contact us and book your kid’s first dental consultation for free. 

What is a Dental Space Maintainer? 

A dental spacer for children is a device that helps keep the space left behind after missing premolars at an early stage. The spacers can be easily made with acrylic material or metals. 

The sole function of a tooth space maintainer for a child is to prevent surrounding teeth from shifting to the spaces.

Studies reveal that the space maintainers help maintain the arch length post-extraction. It is a painless approach to provide enough room for secondary teeth to come in after an extraction. 

What Do Teeth Maintainers Look Like?

Tooth space maintainers come with a fantastic feature that is customization. They are custom-made with acrylic or metal. In addition, they come with rubber bands or metal springs for additional grip.

The spacers for baby teeth are frequently used in orthodontia. Moreover, the spacers are removable and fixed.  

If your kid has a missing tooth in the front of the mouth, you can request your dentist to customize it for front teeth.

Additionally, they can be used at any age to fix spaces between the teeth and maintain a healthy smile in adults.

Types of Tooth Space Maintainer

They have also evolved with the advancement in dental surgery and orthodontics. A variety of maintainers are available depending on the different materials used.

Here, we share a few basic types of dental maintainers:

1: Unilateral maintainers

Unilateral means the type of teeth space maintainer designed to fit on one side of the mouth. It completely wraps around the other teeth.

Additionally, these maintainers come with a metal loop that extends into space left after tooth extraction or fell out in kids. 

Furthermore, the unilateral maintainers have the following subtypes:

Band and loop: This spacer type functions well by cementing a band to the second baby molar or first permanent molar. In addition, the loop helps contact the distal surface of nearby baby teeth. 

Distal shoe: Another type of unilateral gap maintainer for children is the distal shoe, which aids in keeping the space open for a child’s unerupted permanent molars. The spacer type is perfect for use on the first permanent molars.

Additionally, they are inserted in the gum line to ensure enough space for permanent tooth eruption. 

2: Bilateral tooth maintainers

The bilateral maintainer’s design suits children who lose their baby teeth on both sides of their mouth. Further, this type of maintainer has subtypes that include: 

Lower lingual holding arch: The bilateral maintainers that connect two baby molars on the lower jaw using metal bands on each one. In addition, the wire runs behind the lower teeth and connects the bands to keep the molars from moving. This type of holder is beneficial for permanent teeth eruption.

Nance holding arch: Bilateral maintainer that helps handle the space in only the upper jaw by resting a button made with acrylic. Additionally, the spacers are set on the roof of the patient’s mouth. 

Why are Space Maintainers Important?

Teeth gap maintainers are needed for kids whose teeth drop in the early years of their life. Several complications can occur if your kid uses something other than spacers.

Custom-made spacers in kids help avoid several complications. This helps in the following causes: 

1: Dental trauma: 

During the early life stages, there are possibilities that children experience dental trauma for any reason.

The kids are in their growth and development phase and developing motor skills. Any upper or lower jaw injury can permanently cause baby teeth. 

If your child loses teeth and experiences dental trauma, they help prevent misalignment and overcrowding.

Additionally, consult with the dentist to get expert advice.

2: Premature tooth loss or extraction:

Baby teeth can quickly decay, damage, and be lost as they are not strong enough to bear the damage for long.

Moreover, the cavities in a child’s molars commonly occur due to fragile baby tooth enamel. In such cases, the spacers for teeth after extraction help in premature loss of premolars. 

3 Reasons Why Your Child Needs a Space Maintainer

There are multiple reasons that your pediatric dentist may recommend using a space maintainer for your kid. What are those potential reasons? Let’s have a look: 

1: Accidental tooth loss

Accidental tooth losses are expected in kids as they get injuries during playing. The gap allows the surrounding teeth to shift when any such tooth is lost. 

A maintainer allows your baby’s teeth to grow correctly and prevents the new teeth from going into crowded and smaller spaces. 

2: Premature tooth loss

Dentists recommend maintainers create spaces for teeth shifting when the child start losing their premature teeth early. Moreover, it keeps the space reserved for the upcoming permanent teeth and prevents overcrowding. 

3: Decay and tooth cavities

Extreme tooth decay can result in tooth extraction in kids, creating a gap in their permanent teeth. It is the best tooth to maintain space and your kid’s smile. 

How Long is the Dental Space Maintainer Procedure?

The timeline of the procedure depends on the needs and goals. When the primary teeth fall out, inserting them into your mouth is the right time.

Children’s average duration is from a few weeks to almost one month. 

The duration varies depending on the case scenario and from one case to another. If you are concerned about the timeline, consult pediatric dentists before starting the procedure. 

How to Take Care of Teeth Maintainers?

If your kid uses the maintainers for any reason, they must take good care of them. To keep the maintainers for long, follow the following simple tips:

How long should a spacer stay in the mouth?

The maintainers can stay as long as they want, primarily until the adult teeth grow. The retainers can be removed before the permanent teeth push it out of the mouth. 

Some maintainers, such as metal spring spaces, must be removed before permanent teeth eruption. Further, acrylic maintainers get pushed out on their own by upcoming permanent teeth. 

The Bottom Line: 

In summary, keeping up with your kid’s doctor about their oral hygiene and molar state is vital, as a dentist can guide you better.

Start visiting the dentist when your kid starts losing their baby teeth. If you want kids’ orthodontic services, visit Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and enjoy executive services. 

FAQs

Do space maintainers hurt?

Spacers are supposed to keep the teeth at their place in the early life years; they are easy to use and cause no pain. 

What age is a space maintainer for?

A maintainer is perfect for kids who lost their premolars before the age of 7 years. 

What are the types of teeth space maintainers?

Two main types of spacers are unilateral and bilateral for kids. 

How Much Do Space Maintainers Cost?

Sometimes, the spacers are a part of your insurance plan or place of treatment, so you don’t need to stress about its additional cost.

Their average cost ranges from $1500 to $6500 depending on the specifications, material used and the duration.