A child’s tooth may come out prematurely, due to either decay or injury. While this is an easily solvable problem, not addressing it can lead to many further complications. The gap left by a missing tooth causes nearby teeth to shift inward to fill the space. This causes complications for adult teeth when they begin to erupt, as well as a host of orthodontic problems.

The solution is space maintenance. Essentially, space maintenance inhibits the proliferation of problems by keeping other teeth in line. There are a number of ways to approach space maintenance, depending on your child’s needs.

Types of Space Maintainers

Kids First Dental uses a few types of space maintainers. Composed of either plastic or steel, they can be removable or fixed. We’ll review both types, but the determination will be made by your dentist to best accommodate your child’s oral health.

Removable Space Maintainers

Removable space maintainers look like retainers. The difference being, removable space maintainers have plastic blocks that fill up the space left by missing teeth. These are best for older children who will reliably follow directions.

Fixed Space Maintainers

Three forms of fixed space maintainers exist:

• Band-and-loop, wherein crowns on adjacent teeth are held together by a metal wire.
• Lingual arch, which fills space specifically in the rear of your child’s mouth, only on the lower jaw, and is designed to inhibit the shifting of adjacent teeth
• Distal shoe, used only when a child loses their second primary molar prior to their first permanent molar coming in. Metal wire is inserted beneath the gum and prevents closure.

Caring for Space Maintainers

It’s easy to take proper care of space maintainers. Instruct your child to leave them alone, and to clean maintainers with normal brushing and flossing. Gum, candy, and other sticky foods should be avoided. By following these simple steps, your child’s space maintainer will last.

Choosing the Right Dentist for Space Maintainers

Space maintainers are vital to inhibit further problems. Finding the perfect dentist to assist your child, however, is tricky. We aim to provide premium care to your child and ensure their success for life. For this reason, Kids First Dental:

• Accepts adults in Greenwood, SC, so that parents can be treated at the same place as their child
• Speaks fluent Spanish
• Offers an excellent loyalty program to promote affordable dental care
• Is currently running a special promotion: $100 cleaning, with an x-ray and an exam
• Offers great financing through a care credit

Selecting the proper dentist for your child’s space maintenance is difficult. We provide the best care, which is why we treat adults alongside their kids and apply 10 years in the dental business to bring you a complete solution: endodontics, oral surgery, pediatric, and general dentistry.

Make an Appointment Now

Your family is the most important thing to you. Rather than wasting time worrying about the bills that come with dental care, or finding specialists for all your oral care needs, trust Kids First Dental in Greenwood, SC to get your family on the road to lifelong dental health!