Space Maintainers
Space Maintainers is available at these locations:
Lose a baby tooth ahead of schedule, whether to trauma, decay, or some other cause, and the neighboring teeth tend to lean into the gap, leaving no room for the permanent tooth to erupt where it should. A space maintainer keeps that opening protected. At Aesthetic Dentistry, our doctors can fit one to hold the space until the adult tooth is ready to come in, heading off costly orthodontic problems down the road.
What it is
A small fixed or removable dental device that keeps a gap open after a baby tooth is lost prematurely, so the permanent tooth has room to erupt where it belongs.
Who it's for
Children who've lost a baby tooth too soon, whether from trauma, decay, or another cause. Not every early loss calls for a space maintainer; which tooth is gone and where the child is in development both factor in.
How we help
A careful look at your child's dental development, a custom-fitted space maintainer, and regular monitoring to confirm the permanent tooth erupts properly.
Heading off a spacing problem now is far easier than fixing one later. Book your child's evaluation.
What Is a Space Maintainer?
- A custom device that holds the spot left by a prematurely lost baby tooth so the permanent tooth can erupt in its proper position
- Baby teeth double as natural space holders, so when one disappears early, the neighbors tend to drift into the opening
- Once teeth shift, the permanent tooth can come in crooked, get impacted, or crowd the others enough to need orthodontic treatment
- Space maintainers come in several types, and our doctors will recommend the one best suited to your child
- As a simple, affordable preventive measure, a space maintainer can spare your child the expense and complexity of treatment later
Types of Space Maintainers
- Band and loop: The most common design, with a metal band around a neighboring tooth and a wire loop that keeps the space open
- Lower lingual holding arch: A choice when several teeth are missing on both sides of the lower jaw
- Nance appliance: Preserves space across both sides of the upper jaw using an acrylic button that rests against the palate
- Removable appliances: Much like a retainer, suited to older, more cooperative children or when appearance matters
- our doctors choose the type based on your child's age, which tooth was lost, and overall dental development
Caring for Your Child's Space Maintainer
When Is a Space Maintainer Needed?
- A baby tooth comes out before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt
- Decay, trauma, accidents, or infection are the usual reasons a tooth is lost early
- An early loss doesn't always call for a space maintainer; if the permanent tooth is nearly through, one may not be needed
- Before recommending treatment, our doctors use X-rays to check where the developing permanent tooth sits
- Placing the device soon after the loss works best, ideally before adjacent teeth begin to shift
Care Instructions
- Steer clear of sticky and chewy foods (gum, taffy, caramel) that can work the appliance loose
- Discourage pushing on the space maintainer with fingers or tongue
- Brush and floss carefully around the appliance every time
- Keep every follow-up appointment so our doctors can track the permanent tooth's progress
- Once the permanent tooth begins to erupt, the space maintainer comes out, and a second procedure is rarely needed
One small device today can spare you big problems tomorrow. Ask about space maintainers for your child.
What to Expect at Your Visit
The Process
- Evaluation: our doctors examine your child's mouth and take X-rays to assess the developing permanent tooth
- Impressions: When a space maintainer is called for, impressions or scans capture the shape needed for a custom-fitted device
- Fitting: At a follow-up visit the space maintainer goes in, quickly and painlessly
- Monitoring: Routine checkups confirm the appliance is doing its job and the permanent tooth is developing on track
- Removal: As soon as the permanent tooth begins to erupt, the space maintainer lifts out easily
Tips for Parents
- Expect a day or two for your child to get used to how the appliance feels, which is perfectly normal
- A little discomfort at first is common and usually fades fast
- Gently remind your child not to fidget with the device
- Keep up regular brushing and flossing, since good oral hygiene matters most around the appliance
- Should the space maintainer loosen or break, call our office rather than trying to adjust it yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
Not every early tooth loss calls for a space maintainer, so the honest answer is that it depends on your child's specific situation. What matters is which tooth was lost and how much time remains before the permanent tooth underneath is ready to erupt. If that permanent tooth is still a long way off, the surrounding teeth have time to drift into the gap and block it, and that is exactly when a space maintainer earns its keep.
To make the call, our doctors examine your child's mouth and use X-rays to see where the developing permanent tooth sits. When a space maintainer is warranted, it is a simple, affordable step that heads off far costlier and more complex orthodontic problems down the road. When it is not needed, we will tell you that just as plainly.
No. Placing a space maintainer is painless and does not require any drilling or anesthesia. The process starts with a simple impression or scan of your child's teeth, and at a later visit the custom device is fitted into place quickly and comfortably.
Your child may notice some slight pressure as the space maintainer goes in, and it is normal to need a day or two to get used to how it feels in the mouth. Any minor awkwardness usually fades fast as they adjust. There is no recovery time, and most children forget the device is even there within a few days.
The space maintainer stays in until the permanent tooth is ready to come in, which means the timeline really depends on your child's age and stage of development. For some children that is only a few months, while for others it can be a few years if the baby tooth was lost well ahead of schedule.
Throughout that time, our doctors monitor progress at your child's regular checkups, using occasional X-rays to track the permanent tooth's path. As soon as that tooth begins to erupt into the space, the space maintainer has done its job and is removed, which is quick and easy.
Contact our office right away if the space maintainer loosens, bends, or comes off. Please do not try to adjust, reattach, or remove it yourself, because a loose device can become a choking hazard and an improper fit will not hold the space the way it needs to.
In the meantime, have your child avoid touching the appliance with fingers or tongue, and steer clear of sticky or hard foods until it is repaired. We will schedule a prompt visit to fix or refit the space maintainer so it can get back to protecting that important gap. Acting quickly also keeps the neighboring teeth from drifting during the time the device is out.
Mostly, yes. A space maintainer is designed to let your child eat, speak, and play normally, and after a brief adjustment period most kids barely notice it. There are just a few foods worth avoiding so the device stays put:
- Sticky and chewy foods like gum, taffy, and caramel, which can work the appliance loose.
- Hard candy and ice, which can bend or break it.
- Anything else especially crunchy or gummy that tends to cling to teeth.
Beyond those, your child can enjoy a normal diet. Careful brushing and flossing around the space maintainer is the one habit that matters most, since food can collect around the bands and wires.
Most dental insurance plans cover space maintainers for children, usually as a preventive or orthodontic benefit, though the details vary from plan to plan. Because a space maintainer costs significantly less than the orthodontic treatment it helps prevent, it tends to be a worthwhile investment even when coverage is only partial.
Our team handles the insurance side for you. At any of our Orland Park, Frankfort, and Oak Lawn offices, we verify your coverage and give you a clear cost estimate before treatment begins, so there are no surprises. If you would like to spread out any out-of-pocket portion, ask us about financing options.
When a baby tooth is lost early and no space maintainer is placed, the teeth on either side of the gap tend to tip and drift into the empty space. Once they do, the room the permanent tooth needs is gone, and that tooth can come in crooked, become impacted (stuck below the gum), or crowd the teeth around it.
The catch is that fixing this after the fact is usually harder and more expensive than preventing it. Crowding and impaction often lead to a need for braces or other orthodontic treatment to correct. A space maintainer is a small, simple step that protects that space now, and if you are weighing the options, our doctors can walk you through what is at stake for your child's specific case.
Safeguard your child's future smile. Book a space maintainer evaluation today.