Every child will eventually lose their baby teeth, but some prematurely lose them before their permanent teeth are ready to grow in. When spaces between kids’ teeth are not properly maintained, it causes future dental issues.
At Little Bytes Pediatric Dentistry, we can place a space maintainer in Palo Alto to preserve the area while your child waits for their adult teeth to grow in.
A dental space maintainer is an oral appliance for kids that leaves adequate space for permanent teeth to grow after losing a baby tooth too early.
There are many reasons children prematurely lose their baby teeth:
Not taking care of the space created by early tooth loss may lead to more costly problems later in life.
Although there are numerous designs, space maintainers are non-invasive treatments that are simple and fast to install. The most common appliance consists of a metal band placed around the tooth next to the space in your child’s smile.
A critical function of a baby tooth is to save space for the adult tooth. When a baby tooth falls out prematurely, the remaining space may cause overcrowding in adult teeth, leading to malocclusion (improper bite) and requiring early orthodontic treatment.
Space maintainers act like a replacement for the baby tooth that was lost prematurely and remain in place until the adult teeth grow in. Children with space maintainers must practice routine brushing and visit the dentist regularly.
Space maintainers do not cause any pain or discomfort. If your child does experience pain, there could be an issue in your child’s mouth that must be addressed by our pediatric dental team.
The best way to care for a space maintainer is to avoid sticky foods and chewing gum. Your child should not push on the device with their tongue or fingers. Keep the appliance clean with routine brushing and flossing at home and continue going to preventative dental appointments in Palo Alto.
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