Your child’s baby teeth do more than just look adorable; they have a number of important jobs, including saving space for the permanent teeth to come in properly. When a baby tooth is lost before its time due to decay, gum disease, or injury, the other teeth have a tendency to shift and fill in the space left behind. This can cause a problem with tooth alignment when the permanent teeth later erupt. That’s why we offer appliances known as dental space maintainers in our Scottsdale, AZ dental office that can prevent this and make sure the grown-up teeth have the room they need.
Benefits of Dental Space Maintainers
A space maintainer saves space between two or more baby teeth to help the permanent teeth erupt properly.
Kids acclimate quickly to the appliance and they can stop using it once the grown-up tooth comes in.
By guiding the permanent teeth, a space maintainer can reduce the risk of certain orthodontic problems, such as crowding.
Saving Space for Permanent Teeth
A space maintainer can be fixed or removable depending on your child’s smile needs. The appliance is custom-made for your little one and will save space where the missing primary tooth used to be, helping to guide the permanent tooth, or teeth, into their ideal places. Your child will visit us every so often so we can make sure their space maintainer is doing its job. Then, when the permanent tooth begins to come in correctly, we’ll remove the space maintainer.
Most children begin losing baby teeth around the age of six.
The leading cause of premature primary tooth loss is decay.
A child’s final baby tooth usually falls out by age 12.
Your Child’s Smile Deserves the Best!
Schedule a visit with our expert Scottsdale pediatric dentist to put your child on the path to outstanding oral health.
