Space maintainers actually can play a vital role in orthodontic treatment. This is one appliance that has a goal of keeping a situation from getting worse so that later treatment will be less invasive, less costly, and less time consuming.

Some of the most common cavities in baby teeth begin BETWEEN the teeth and aren’t visible to the eye. Once the cavity becomes large enough, the enamel collapses like a sinkhole and may be very large by the time we realize it’s there. We often don’t realize how important it is to have kids floss between the teeth to prevent this.

In these situations, sometimes the tooth is fixable with a stainless steel crown, but in other cases, the baby tooth may need to be extracted long before it should be falling out.

When a primary tooth falls out and the adult tooth is not ready to come in yet, the neighboring teeth may drift into the open space and block the adult tooth from erupting. This can create a serious problem later and may lead to the extraction of the blocked out adult tooth. This is a case when a simple appliance such as a space maintainer can prevent this situation and save a tooth in the future.

The loss of a baby tooth does not always predispose a patient to problems which is why a simple consult with our orthodontist, Dr. Renick, can aid in determining if treatment is necessary on a case by case basis.

Space maintainers come in a variety of appliances. In cases where Dr. Renick feels a patient may benefit from interceptive or preventative treatment with an appliance, she will also determine which appliance would be most beneficial for each patient.

Some of the more common space maintainers include the following:

• Lower lingual holding arch
• Band and loop
• Distal shoe
• Hawley or essix retainer

To learn more about space maintainers in Sunbury, Ohio, and schedule your appointment, call Renick Orthodontics today at 740-936-5003.