Blog
Sep 6 • 2 minute read
Dental care isn’t solely about preserving a dazzling smile. It plays a pivotal role in maintaining the health and alignment of your teeth. When a child loses a baby tooth prematurely due to decay or injury, it can lead to complications in the alignment of their permanent teeth. This is where a space maintainer becomes important.
Primary teeth, or baby teeth, serve as placeholders for permanent teeth, guiding their eruption and alignment. Premature loss of a primary tooth can disrupt this process and cause the neighboring teeth to shift into the gap, which alters the bite pattern. This shift can result in inadequate space for the permanent tooth to emerge properly, leading to misalignment and potential orthodontic issues.
A space maintainer is a dental appliance designed to preserve the space created by a missing primary tooth. Space maintainers play an important role in preserving the alignment of teeth and preventing potential orthodontic issues that could arise from premature tooth loss. By maintaining the space where a baby tooth was lost and preventing neighboring teeth from drifting into the vacant space, a space maintainer ensures there’s adequate room for the permanent tooth to erupt in its designated position. This proactive approach minimizes the potential for orthodontic complications later in life.
There are two common types of space maintainers. Your child’s dentist will evaluate their smile determine which type of maintainer is the best choice to encourage the development of their bite and alignment of their teeth.
If your child loses a primary tooth prematurely, your family dentist will assess the situation and recommend a suitable treatment plan. If a space maintainer is deemed necessary, the dental team will take impressions of your child’s mouth to create a custom-fitted appliance. They will provide instructions and tips for you and your child to take care of their space maintainer, and they will monitor your child’s oral to development to determine how long the space maintainer will need to stay in.
A space maintainer is a valuable tool in pediatric dentistry, ensuring the smooth transition from primary to permanent teeth. By preventing neighboring teeth from encroaching on the space left by a missing tooth, these appliances contribute to the long-term alignment and health of your child’s smile. Should your child experience premature tooth loss, reach out to your dentist to determine whether a space maintainer is the right solution to nurture their developing smile.
Every parent wants to give their child the healthiest start in life, which includes a bright, confid ...
Nov 20 • 3 min read
After months or even years of waiting, the day has finally come and it’s time to get your brac ...
Nov 13 • 2 min read
When thinking about keeping your heart healthy, you might focus on diet, exercise, or managing stres ...
Nov 6 • 2 min read
Categories
Archives
Ready to Get Started?
Quality professional team members that pride ourselves in furthering education to ensure you get the quality care you deserve.
Come See Us
Testimonials
"I have had the gift of meeting Dr. GUSS and his staff We have been searching for quite some time to find such a gifted dentist and gentleman like Dr. GUSS. We are very very fortunate to meet such a knowledgeable and wholesome person. We support his practice due to his honesty and how he realizes the costs today. He makes every attempt to understand financial challenges and works with his clients to promote methods to present reasonable methods to finance all procedures........Please give Dr. Guss your consideration. You will be very pleased....and happy both with his work and personality..."
"Dr. Carmen Rahimi is by far the absolute best Dentist. It is not easy to find a good dental office. I feel fortunate to find them. I highly recommend you and your family go here. You won't regret it."
"Love Dr. Guss and the team!! My wife and I have been seeing them for about 7 years now and we couldn’t be happier with their care and services. Dr. Guss is super gentle and the whole team makes you feel like family. We live in East Hollywood, but make the trek out to Simi because we couldn’t imagine going to any other dentist. We also constantly try to refer our friends and ensure them the drive is more than worth it! I’m always happy to say, “I love my dentist!”"
"Dr. Rahimi is my dentist I have been going to for years. She is very kind. She has a soft hand. Never once have I had pain with shots or a bad experience when I needed treatment. Office staff are polite, clean facility and always runs on time. I recommend this place to everyone."
Jerrold D. Guss, DMD | 1776 Erringer Road, Suite 106, Simi Valley, CA 93065 | (805) 870-8994