Orthodontic Space Maintainers For Kids
Orthodontic Space Maintainers For Kids
The Importance and Benefits
Orthodontic Space maintainers for kids are devices designed to preserve space within a child’s mouth after prematurely losing a tooth. Losing primary teeth before their natural time can lead to dental issues like crowding or misalignment due to the neighboring teeth drifting into the vacant space. To prevent such problems, our pediatric dentists at Surprise Pediatric Dentistry in Surprise AZ, often recommend space maintainers for children that have experienced this situation. Let’s delve deeper into why these devices are essential and how they benefit your child.
Importance of Space Maintainers:
Preventing Misalignment: When a primary tooth is lost prematurely, adjacent teeth tend to shift into the gap. This can cause misalignment issues, impacting the proper development of permanent teeth.
- Preserving Jaw Structure: Space maintainers help maintain the natural alignment of teeth, preventing the need for extensive orthodontic treatment later on.
- Facilitating Proper Chewing and Speech: Maintaining the correct spacing ensures that a child can chew food properly and develop speech patterns without hindrance.
- Avoiding Future Complications: Early intervention with space maintainers can prevent the need for more invasive orthodontic treatments in the future, saving time, money, and discomfort.
Benefits of Space Maintainers for Kids:
- Customized Solutions: Space maintainers are tailored to each child’s specific needs, ensuring optimal effectiveness.
- Minimal Discomfort: While adjustments may be necessary initially, most children adapt quickly to their space maintainers without significant discomfort.
- Preservation of Oral Health: By preventing teeth from shifting, space maintainers contribute to better oral hygiene and reduce the risk of dental problems later in life.
- Promoting Self-Confidence: Maintaining proper dental alignment from an early age can boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence in their appearance.
Orthodontic space maintainers for kids play a crucial role in pediatric dentistry by preserving space and promoting healthy dental development in children. By addressing tooth loss early on and applying space maintainers, we can help your child prevent a myriad of potential issues and help to ensure a lifetime of optimal oral health.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have on orthodontic space maintainers for kids, or any other pediatric dentistry and orthodontic questions you may have.
By bringing your child in for an exam, we can help you determine the best treatment options. Investing in preventive measures like space maintainers can lead to long-term benefits, sparing your kids from more extensive dental interventions down the road.
Reasons Your Child May Need a Space Maintainer
Orthodontists mainly recommend space maintainers for:
- Premature loss of primary teeth
- Delayed loss of primary teeth
- Traumatic loss of primary teeth
Premature Loss of Primary Teeth
Children who lose their primary teeth prematurely often require a space maintainer. The main cause of premature tooth loss is cavities due to consumption of sugary foods and drinks or improper brushing habits.
Our Surprise pediatric dentist recommends baby teeth extraction if they are infected with cavities. Leaving a primary tooth cavity alone for too long can cause tooth decay or infection that may spread to other teeth.
Delayed Loss of Primary Teeth
Sometimes primary teeth do not fall out. This either prevents the adult teeth from growing or causes them to grow into the same space as a baby tooth. The presence of both teeth causes overcrowding and poor jaw development.
Traumatic Loss of Primary Teeth
Children often experience injuries due to clumsiness. Such poor motor skills can damage the teeth and jaws, thus requiring a space maintainer to encourage the growth of straight teeth.
Types of Space Maintainers
There are three categories of space maintainers:
- Fixed unilateral maintainer
- Fixed bilateral maintainer
- Partial dentures
Orthodontists use all three for different dentofacial orthopedics cases. Contact our orthodontist to find out which one is best for your child.
Fixed Unilateral Maintainer
We use fixed unilateral maintainers when the problem only appears on one side of the mouth. The unilateral space maintainer normally maintains the space necessary for an adult molar to grow.
Fixed Bilateral Maintainer
Fixed bilateral maintainers are necessary if your child loses teeth on both sides of the mouth. Our Surprise orthodontist uses fixed bilateral space maintainers on both the upper and lower jaws to ensure that the dental arch is properly growing.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures fully replace the teeth. We normally decide to give children partial dentures for aesthetic reasons or if more than one tooth is missing on either side of the mouth. We almost always fit children with removable partial dentures due to their developmental stage.
Should I Get a Space Maintainer for My Child?
Orthodontic treatment is necessary when children prematurely lose teeth. If you want to speak with an orthodontist in Surprise, AZ, give Surprise Pediatric Dentistry a call at 602-730-6481 today.
