Space Maintainers in Kansas City, MO
Sometimes, children need space maintainers. These are typically used when children lose their baby teeth early. They may be used when children have their teeth extracted or when children lose their teeth naturally.
At Smile Palace, our dentists in Kansas City may suggest a space maintainer for your child. The reason for this is that space maintainers help to support your child’s overall dental health.
Space maintainers can be used to create a space for adult teeth to grow in. If your child loses their teeth too early for their adult teeth to come in, the muscles in the jawbones can be lost, which causes issues later on. To prevent this, space must be maintained. Otherwise, the incoming adult teeth can shift. Existing baby teeth can also tilt without the support of the lost tooth. This then leads to improper alignment and positioning.
Space maintainers are a simple way to prevent positioning issues. Most children adjust to them in a few days. Without space maintainers, your child may need additional treatment from an orthodontist.
How to Know If Your Child Needs a Space Maintainer
If your child loses a tooth early, they may need a space maintainer. This isn’t always the case, though, so it is important to talk to an orthodontist or dentist near you. Connecting with a dentist near you is a good first step. Our dentists in Kansas City, MO, can determine if your child would benefit from space maintainers.
Types of Space Maintainers
There are a couple of different space maintainers that our dentists might recommend for your child. Our dentists can give you a suggestion based on your child’s specific situation. Space maintainers are custom fit to your child’s mouth to ensure a comfortable fit.
The first type of space maintainer is removable. In this case, the space maintainer is commonly acrylic. Sometimes, our dentists will suggest using artificial teeth as space maintainers.
The second type of space maintainer is fixed. These include unilateral, lingual, distal shoe, crown, and loop.
Space maintainers are common for young children who lose their teeth early. If your child might need space maintainers, talk to our dentists in Kansas City. Our dentists at Smile Palace can help you to make the right choice for your child. If you have questions or concerns about space maintainers in Kansas City, contact our dentists today!
