What Are Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are small dental appliances that are used to preserve the gap left by a prematurely lost baby tooth. Primary or baby teeth act as placeholders for permanent teeth until it is time for them to erupt.
However, if a baby tooth is lost too early, the nearby teeth can shift into the empty space, which may lead to crowding, misalignment, or delayed eruption of permanent teeth. For this reason, we recommend placing a space maintainer as it helps prevent such complications by keeping the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to emerge in the oral cavity.
Types of Space Maintainers Offer We Offer
At our Katy, TX, dental office, we provide different types of space maintainers depending on your child’s unique dental needs. They include:
- Fixed unilateral: It is ideal for a single missing tooth on one side of the mouth. A common type is the band and loop space maintainer, which uses a metal band around an adjacent tooth and a wire loop that retains space.
- Fixed bilateral: It is recommended if multiple teeth are missing on either side. Our pediatric dentist may place a lower lingual holding arch, which involves metal bands on molars connected by a wire along the inside of the lower teeth.
- Removable: It resembles a partial denture as it has an acrylic base and artificial teeth. It is typically recommended when the permanent teeth are close to eruption.
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Caring for Space Maintainers
Although space maintainers are not permanent appliances, they require routine care to ensure they last until permanent teeth appear. We will provide complete instructions, including brushing and flossing techniques to clean around the area. During this period, we suggest that children avoid sticky or hard foods, like chewing gum or caramel taffees, as they can damage or dislodge the appliance.
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What Our Patients Are Saying
We’ve had a great experience here.
They are very easy to schedule with, and reschedule when necessary. They are courteous and kind and the facility is always clean. They take great care of my son’s dental needs.
Jill Guerrero
We’ve had a great experience here.
Loved this dentistry at the old location and definitely fell more in love with it this time around! There’s a really nice new play area that my daughter loved before her appointment.... Read More
Angelica Gilliatt
We’ve had a great experience here.
I can't thank Dr. Kim and the entire staff enough for the incredible care they provide. Taking my children to this pediatric dentist has been a precious experience, especially after having... Read More
Suyeon Chung
We’ve had a great experience here.
I would like to extended my thanks to the Flourish team for taking such great care of my son . If you are looking for the best, you've found them at this establishment. A special thanks to Megan!