What is a space maintainer?
Baby molar teeth, also known as primary molar teeth, hold needed space for permanent teeth that will come in later. When a baby molar tooth is lost, an orthodontic device with a fixed wire is usually put between teeth to hold the space for the permanent tooth, which will come in later. (return to top) 4. Why do baby teeth sometimes need to be pulled? Pulling baby teeth may be necessary to allow severely crowded permanent teeth to come in at a normal time in a reasonably normal location. If the teeth are severely crowded, it may be clear that some unerupted permanent teeth (usually the canine teeth) will either remain impacted (teeth that should have come in, but have not), or come in to a highly undesirable position. To allow severely crowded teeth to move on their own into much more desirable positions, sequential removal of baby teeth and permanent teeth (usually first premolars) can dramatically improve a severe crowding problem.
When a child prematurely loses a primary tooth, teeth on either side of the lost tooth may drift or shift and cause a loss of space or other complications. A space maintainer is a dental appliance designed to hold the space of the lost tooth until such time as the permanent tooth replacing the lost tooth has erupted or until orthodontic treatment can be instituted. Space maintainers come in different sizes, shapes and materials.
