Space maintenance is the process of maintaining the proper tooth position and gaps in your child’s smile. It’s usually only necessary if your child has lost a baby (primary) tooth really early. The primary teeth help maintain the proper spacing and allow the adult teeth to erupt in the right position. When your child loses them early, this can cause orthodontic issues later in life. With space maintenance, Dr. Chris Carter can fill up the gaps in their smile and make sure their teeth erupt properly in the future. Contact us now to schedule a consultation in Mission Viejo, and get the care your child needs.
First, you’ll come in for a visit with Dr. Carter. He’ll examine your child’s mouth, and determine if they’ve lost their baby tooth too early. If one of their adult teeth is about to erupt, there may be no need for a space maintainer. But if they did lose the tooth really early, a space maintainer is usually the best option.
Space maintainers are small metal or plastic devices that Dr. Carter will place in the gap in your child’s smile. Just like a real tooth, a space maintainer puts pressure on the adjacent healthy teeth. This stops them from shifting toward the now-empty socket, which is common after tooth loss. Removable and fixed space maintainers are available, but fixed space maintainers are usually the best option for most kids.
We’ll check on your child’s space maintainer as part of every six-month checkup at South OC Orthodontics. When their adult tooth is about to erupt, it’s time to remove it. This is a simple and painless process, and takes only a few minutes. Once Dr. Carter removes your child’s space maintainer, their adult tooth can erupt and take its proper place in their mouth.
First, you’ll come in for a visit with Dr. Carter. He’ll examine your child’s mouth, and determine if they’ve lost their baby tooth too early. If one of their adult teeth is about to erupt, there may be no need for a space maintainer. But if they did lose the tooth really early, a space maintainer is usually the best option.
Space maintainers are small metal or plastic devices that Dr. Carter will place in the gap in your child’s smile. Just like a real tooth, a space maintainer puts pressure on the adjacent healthy teeth. This stops them from shifting toward the now-empty socket, which is common after tooth loss. Removable and fixed space maintainers are available, but fixed space maintainers are usually the best option for most kids.
We’ll check on your child’s space maintainer as part of every six-month checkup at South OC Orthodontics. When their adult tooth is about to erupt, it’s time to remove it. This is a simple and painless process, and takes only a few minutes. Once Dr. Carter removes your child’s space maintainer, their adult tooth can erupt and take its proper place in their mouth.
When your child loses a tooth early, their other teeth may shift toward the gap in their smile. This can cause problems with tooth alignment and the future eruption of the adult tooth. With a space maintainer, you don’t have to worry about teeth shifting.
Among the obvious functions of letting your child chew, speak, and smile, their baby teeth also help guide the development of their adult teeth. If your child loses their baby teeth early, their adult teeth may not erupt properly. Space maintainers help with this, and ensure the proper development of adult teeth.
Premature baby tooth loss can contribute to lots of orthodontic problems. Because of this, space maintainers can actually help your child avoid braces and other treatments in the future. That can save you lots of time, money, and headaches as your child grows into a teenager.
Such a nice place, the office is spacious and welcoming, my kid felt relaxed here. Doctors are knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive to details, they made us feel comfortable and cared for.
My kids really look forward to their dental visits with Dr. John and his wonderful team. There isn’t one thing I would change about the people or the environment at this dental office.
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