Space Maintainers

Your child may need a space maintainer if he or she loses a baby tooth prematurely before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. If a primary tooth is lost too early, adult teeth can erupt into the empty space instead of where they should be. When more adult teeth are ready to fill the mouth, there may not be enough room for them because of the lost space. To prevent this from happening, our doctors at Kidz Connextion will recommend a space maintainer to hold open the space left by the missing tooth.

The goal of space maintainers is to prevent movement of adjacent permanent “first molars” (also called six-year molars), and loss of space for (permanent) bicuspids and permanent canines. If the permanent first molars are not held in their proper position, they can drift forward and prevent the bicuspid teeth from being able to move into the mouth on a normal path. Baby teeth are important to the development of the teeth, jaw bones and muscles to help guide permanent teeth into position when the baby teeth are lost. If space is not maintained, then teeth can shift into the open space and orthodontic treatment may be required.

If you are searching for a pediatric dentist, look no further and give us a call. To learn more about our pediatric services here at the office visit www.kidzconnextion.com for more information. To schedule an appointment in Phoenix AZ, call 623-223-1001.