Space Maintainers in San Antonio

How will I know if my child needs a space maintainer?

Space maintainers are often used when a child is in an accident and a baby tooth is knocked out too early, or when one or more teeth become decayed or damaged and need to be extracted. If a tooth feels loose for a while before it falls out, it was likely just pushed out by the adult tooth underneath. Your child won’t need a space maintainer, and you should be able to see the new adult tooth coming in through the gums. If you aren’t sure if your child needs one, the best thing to do is give our office a call, and we may want to take a look and offer advice from there.

Are space maintainers painful?

Space maintainers should not hurt, and if your child complains that their teeth hurt, please let us know. There will likely be an adjustment period where the maintainer feels a little uncomfortable, and your child will have to get used to having it in their mouth. Once a space maintainer is placed, it’s extra important that your child visits our office at least twice per year so that we can ensure that decay isn’t developing around the appliance and so that we can take it off when the adult tooth begins growing in.

Are space maintainers really necessary?

Space maintainers are simple oral appliances that can make a huge difference in a patients’ oral health and their orthodontic treatment plan. When a baby tooth is lost too early, and the adult tooth is not ready to grow in yet, the nearby teeth can begin to shift into the empty space and block the adult tooth underneath. This can be painful for patients, and it requires more work to fix, whereas a simple space maintainer or two can prevent this problem from occurring in the first place. Placing a space maintainer typically offers more benefits than not placing one.