How Do Kids Space Maintainers Work?
People often don’t realize the importance of baby teeth. Baby teeth are mainly in place to keep space available for a permanent tooth to grow in healthily. When baby teeth are lost, it paves a way for permanent teeth to grow in. Baby teeth act as a catalyst.
Sometimes baby teeth are lost prematurely which can result in the poor formation of permanent teeth. Premature loss can happen if an accident like a fall, sports injury, tooth abscess, or infection occurs. When baby teeth are lost prematurely, kids space maintainers are normally used to save the place for an adult tooth. If the space is not saved, the adjacent teeth may drift into an incorrect position, resulting in orthodontic issues, crowding, poor dental hygiene, and even discomfort.
What do kids space maintainers look like?
Most kids space maintainers are made of stainless steel, but some are made of plastic. They will typically be silver in appearance unless otherwise arranged and anchored in place by another tooth. Kids space maintainers can be removable, but some are cemented onto the abutment teeth (teeth on either side of the space)— these are called fixed space maintainers.
FAQ ‘s
Kids space maintainers can be there for a long time, but they are never permanent. They are typically removed when the new, permanent tooth begins to a erupt or nearby abutment teeth become loose.