Space maintainers have the primary role of “holding” the place of prematurely lost baby teeth. The space maintainer will occupy that space and thus will not allow other teeth to crowd it. Talk to the best kids dentist franklin lakes, if your child has lost a baby tooth too early because your child may require such a space maintainer. The maintainer will maintain that space for the new tooth that will erupt in that spot.
Space maintainers may be required either because of a prematurely lost baby tooth or because of a tooth that had to be extracted because of dental decay. These maintainers are custom-made by the best kids dentist franklin lakes, or an orthodontist. Typically, the maintainers are made of metal or acrylic material, and sometimes the maintainer is cemented. At the same time, other times, they are fitted so that they can be removed anytime it is required. A removable space maintainer is generally made from acrylic material, and it resembles an orthodontic appliance.
Different types of space maintainers are available, and your dentist will choose the most appropriate type for your child. For example, the unilateral maintainer will wrap around the outside of the tooth. Then, it is directly connected to a metal loop that holds up the required space. The crown type of space maintainer also looks like a dental crown covering the tooth.
There is also the distal shoe space maintainer available. This is used in case of a molar that has not erupted yet. This is quite a complex type of space maintainer, requiring more supervision and regular checks by the dentist. The role of the baby teeth is to aid the permanent teeth in coming into their given position. If space is not maintained well, other teeth can start moving into this open space, resulting in crowded teeth that would later require orthodontic treatment (dental braces). This is why it is essential to make regular visits to the dentist; if needed, your child will get such a space maintainer to ensure a beautiful smile later on.