Space Maintainers Fort Collins, CO.
Caring for your child’s oral health involves more than just teaching them to brush twice a day. Dental care encompasses various elements, one of which includes the use of space maintainers to ensure a healthy, beautiful smile. Space maintainers are an essential tool in pediatric dentistry, particularly when a child loses their baby teeth prematurely.
Welcome to Ray Dental, where we are committed to providing comprehensive dental care, ranging from dealing with tooth decay to providing orthodontic treatment. Let us guide you through the role of space maintainers, how they function, and who may benefit from their use.
What Are Space Maintainers?
A space maintainer is an appliance made typically of acrylic or stainless steel that is custom-made by a dentist or orthodontist. This appliance is designed to keep an empty space open to allow the permanent tooth to erupt and come into place. The use of space maintainers typically comes after the premature loss of primary teeth.
Space maintainers can be either fixed or removable. A fixed space maintainer is cemented onto the sides of the mouth using dental cement and can be a loop space maintainer, a distal shoe, or a lingual holding arch. On the other hand, a removable space maintainer resembles a partial denture with artificial teeth and is usually made of acrylic. These different types of space maintainers usually attach to molars, but we customize them to meet your needs.
How Do Space Maintainers Work?
Space maintainers work by preventing the shifting of adjacent teeth into the empty space left by a missing tooth. This shifting can lead to overcrowding or malocclusions and complicate the eruption of permanent teeth. By holding the space open, a maintainer allows for the proper growth and alignment of the permanent teeth.
The type of space maintainer used depends on various factors such as the child’s age, the number of missing teeth, and the location in the mouth. Types of space maintainers can include bilateral space maintainers, which work on both sides of the mouth, or unilateral space maintainers, which work on just one side.
It’s important to note that while space maintainers can prevent complications, they cannot replace good oral hygiene. Regular brushing, checkups, and dental care are still required even when a space maintainer is in place.
How We Create Your Retainer
Creating a space maintainer involves the following steps:
- Examination and X-rays: This allows the dentist to assess the mouth and identify where the maintainer will be placed.
- Impression Creation: An impression of your child’s mouth is taken to ensure the appliance fits properly.
- Appliance Fabrication: The appliance is fabricated according to the specific needs and dimensions of your child’s mouth.
- Installation: The appliance is secured in place using dental cement.
Your child’s pediatric dentist will keep you updated every step of the way.
Who Needs Space Maintainers?
Space maintainers are generally recommended for children who have experienced premature tooth loss (or an extraction), often due to severe decay or dental trauma. For instance, if a baby tooth is extracted too early, a space maintainer may be necessary to prevent space loss and ensure that the adult tooth has enough room to emerge correctly.
In other cases, space maintainers may be suggested as part of orthodontic treatment to manage malocclusions or to prepare for future treatments like braces. Ultimately, a consultation with a pediatric dentist can provide personalized advice based on the child’s dental health.
Contact Ray Dental To Discuss Whether Space Maintainers Can Benefit You
At Ray Dental, we’re dedicated to delivering personalized dental care to ensure the health and happiness of your child’s smile. If you’re wondering whether space maintainers can benefit your child, we invite you to schedule a consultation with our experienced team. We look forward to guiding you through your child’s dental care journey.