Kids Space Maintainers

Space Maintainers provided by Dr. Gregory M. Neu, DDS in East Dundee, IL at Neu Family Dental

Kids Space Maintainers at Neu Family Dental, in East Dundee, IL

Baby teeth are an essential component in the mouth of your child. Not only are they important for allowing your child to eat and enjoy a wide variety of foods, but they also play a critical role in speech development. Additionally, the baby teeth serve as guides for the adult teeth, helping them to grow in properly. If a baby tooth is lost prematurely, it can have a significant impact on the emergence of the adult teeth. At Neu Family Dental, we can help to hold the space of a prematurely lost tooth with kids space maintainers.

Why Does My Child Need a Space Maintainer?

The baby teeth are quite important. Along with allowing your child to bite and chew their food, they also aid in proper speech development as well as serve as guides for the proper eruption of their adult teeth. If baby teeth are lost too early, it can affect the development and eruption of the adult teeth later. The adult teeth that erupt on either side of the empty space can come in crooked. They may also completely block the space that was meant for another tooth. These issues can result in crooked or overcrowded teeth.

What Exactly Is a Space Maintainer?

A space maintainer is a device that is designed to hold the empty space open for the adult tooth that will erupt in its place. They are typically made from stainless steel or plastic. Some may be a combination of the two. While they can be in place for a long period of time, depending upon when the baby tooth was lost, they are not permanent appliances. By holding the space open, they aid in the proper development of the adult teeth, which can help to prevent alignment issues and the need for orthodontic treatment later on.

Types of Space Maintainers

There are a few different types of space maintainers.

•	Fixed. A fixed space maintainer is the most common type. They can be held in place in some different ways, including a band-and-loop, which uses a wire to hold the device in place on an adjacent tooth, or a distal shoe appliance, which is inserted under the gums. This type of space maintainer is often used when a baby tooth is lost in place of the first permanent molar. There is no way to anchor other types of space maintainers because no other molars have come in, so the gums anchor it.
•	Removable. A removable space maintainer is similar to a retainer. Used for teeth lost in visible areas, it contains a fake tooth and is often recommended for children who are a little older.
•	Lingual arch. A lingual arch space maintainer is one that is used when the back teeth are missing from both sides of the lower jaw. This type of space maintainer uses wire that is attached to bands that are used as anchors. The wire runs along the backside of the bottom teeth, so it is not visible when your child smiles.

If your child has lost a baby tooth prematurely, a space maintainer may be necessary to hold the space open for the proper eruption of the adult tooth. Call Neu Family Dental today for more information at (847) 230-9143.

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573 Dundee Ave
East Dundee, IL 60118

(847) 230-9143

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Kids Space Maintainers | Neu Family Dental - East Dundee, IL
Space maintainers for kids help to prevent alignment issues and the need for orthodontic treatment later on.
Neu Family Dental, 573 Dundee Avenue, East Dundee, IL 60118 ^ (847) 230-9143 ^ neufamilydental.com ^ 1/21/2025 ^ Page Keywords: Dentist East Dundee IL ^