A space maintainer is a dental appliance that fits the space where the primary tooth is missing. The space maintainer is made specifically for children and can be made of metal, plastic, or resin. Depending, some space maintainers are removable and some are not quite visible. For one of the types of space maintainers, a band or crown is fitted over one of the adjacent teeth. Although your child might be fully aware of the space maintainer, after a couple of days their mouth should feel completely normal. To protect these small appliances, it is important to have your child avoid eating the gum or hard foods and avoid pulling or pushing the appliance with his fingers or tongue, and keep the area clean with brushing and flossing. Once your child is used to the space maintainer, your child will need to return to the office to be monitored regularly by the dentist. To make sure that the development of the new tooth or teeth is on track and following the path that the space maintainer has allowed. Once the adult tooth or teeth are growing properly, then the space maintainer can be removed.
