Children lose their milk teeth and permanent teeth erupt in their place. This is a natural phenomenon which should happen at the right age.
One of the functions of milk teeth is to serve as natural space maintainers till it is the time for permanent teeth to erupt.
Early loss of milk teeth deters this function and causes problems.
What reasons may lead to early loss of milk teeth?
Milk teeth may fall off early or maybe needed to be removed early for reasons like :
- Advanced dental cavity
- Severe dental infection
- If dental treatment is not taken on time
- Financial reasons
Space maintainers maintain the space till it is the time for permanent teeth to erupt.
What happens if a space maintainer is not placed?
In the event that a milk tooth is lost early and a space maintainer is not placed :
- Adjacent teeth shift and occupy the place
- Loss of bite
- Less or no space left for permanent teeth to erupt
- Crowding in permanent teeth
Space maintainer is to be placed as soon as the wound heals up to avoid problems in the future. The space maintainer helps to maintain the space till it is time for a permanent tooth to erupt. At the correct time, the space maintainer is removed.
Space maintainers are mainly :
- Removable space maintainer –
Usually are given in case or front missing milk teeth. They serve the purpose of maintaining space and also help your child maintain the sweet smile.
- Fixed space maintainer –
Unilateral fixed space maintainer – it is placed when one or more teeth are lost on one side
Bilateral fixed space maintainer – it is placed when one or more teeth are lost on both sides
Space maintainers not just maintain spaces but also maintains the smile on your child’s face.
