Space Maintainers for Kids in Dubai
Children’s guide to healthy adult teeth
Baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, are an integral component of a child’s oral well-being, and they act as a guide for the permanent adult tooth that will replace them. However, in some cases, if a baby tooth is prematurely lost, the permanent tooth also loses its guide. As a result, the new set of adult teeth can erupt into the child’s mouth, causing permanent tooth misalignment.
Such misalignments in a child’s teeth can detrimentally impact their oral health throughout the early stages of development and the emergence of their adult teeth. Hence, to prevent such disarray of your little one’s teeth, our specialist orthodontists at Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic recommend the installation of space maintainers.
Why does your child need a Dental Space Maintainer?
There are various causes for early primary tooth loss, including
- Due to a fall or an injury
- Severe tooth decay. In these cases, the tooth may need to be extracted
- They could have been absent at birth
- Early tooth loss can result from several illnesses or other health conditions
Because of these factors, our paediatric orthodontists advocate for early and prompt intervention, emphasizing the importance of a space maintainer to prevent a tooth from shifting into empty spaces in the mouth. This dental appliance also acts as a guide for the permanent tooth to erupt in the designated spot.
Types of Space Maintainers
our paediatric orthodontists offer different types of space maintainers to suit every child’s individualistic dental needs.
Fixed Space Maintainer
The fixed space maintainers are usually made of steel and are cemented into the child’s mouth. These dental maintainers are fixated on the tooth/teeth, either on one side of the mouth (unilateral space maintainers) or on both sides of the mouth (bilateral space maintainers)
Removable Space Maintainer
Removable space maintainers imitate the look of a retainer. Here, our orthodontists will fill the empty spaces in the teeth with artificial teeth or acrylic blocks. Since these dental space maintainers require extra attention and care, they are implanted in children who can easily follow directions for about caring this dental tool
Shapes of Space Maintainers
Since fixed space maintainers are most used amongst children with premature tooth loss, our paediatric dentists also offer these dental appliances in different shapes and sizes, to best suit the child’s dental needs, they are:
Band and Loop Space Maintainer
This maintainer consists of stainless steel wires that are held in their place using a crown on the tooth adjacent to the gap. The band or crown is fastened with a wire loop. The wire loop keeps the opening clear. This provides adequate room for the permanent tooth to erupt into the mouth without crowding or causing any other orthodontic misalignments
Trans Palatal Arch Appliance
When the baby molar teeth on both sides of the jaw are lost, this fixed space maintainer is positioned on the upper jaw to support these gaps. A strong wire connects two metal bands that span the palate and fastens them to the teeth. Since this is a bilateral space maintainer, it is custom-made using an impression of the child’s teeth
Distal Shoe Appliance
This space maintainer is inserted under the gums of a child. The distal shoe appliance is used when a child loses a tooth in front of their permanent molars which has not erupted yet. Since both these spaces are now empty, this fixed space maintainer is equipped with a metal wire positioned under the child’s gums to keep the space from closing
Lingual Arch
This is a bilateral space maintainer. Since the back teeth are missing both sides of the lower jaw, a lingual arch device is placed by the orthodontist into the child’s mouth. Here, the wires are positioned along the inside of the lower jaw, where bottom teeth cannot usually be seen. Later, they are secured in place using stiff orthodontic bands
Our Orthodontists In Dubai
Specialist Orthodontist
Specialist Orthodontist
Specialist Orthodontist
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Procedure for Installing Space Maintainers
Consultation and Extraction
The paediatric dentist or the paediatric orthodontists will examine the child’s dental health using X-rays. In the case of severe tooth decay, the dentist would then proceed to numb the area and extract the tooth.
Trial Fit
Here, a temporary space maintainer band and crown are placed on the tooth adjacent to the gap in the teeth. This is the trial fit. Also, a stiff orthodontic band is attached to the crown during the trial fit.
Contouring the Space Maintainer
Once the size is decided during the trial fit stage, the space maintainers are sterilized and placed back into the dentist’s kit. The dentist will now contour the maintainer to match the patient’s tooth and gap.
Selection of the Wire
The dentist will select a suitable wire that adds to the stability and support of the space maintainer. Plain wires are usually preferred as they are highly flexible.
Positioning the Appliance
Next. the interior side of the band in the space maintainer is coated with glass ionomer cement and is now positioned into the tooth, and suitable orthodontic wires are firmly locked into place.
FAQs
Most frequently asked questions
Our team of paediatric orthodontists and paediatric dentists designs and develops top-quality space maintainers. Hence, the cost of space maintainers largely depends on the type of maintainers your child may require and the condition of their oral health. For instance, the cost of bilateral space maintainers would be different from unilateral dental appliances. Similarly, fixed maintainers would be priced differently than removable maintainers.
The selection of fixed space maintainer or removable space maintained solely depends upon two factors: dentist recommendations upon examining your child’s dental needs, and two, the oral habits of the child. However, our paediatric orthodontists will provide more clarity to the children’s dental treatment by suggesting a suitable space maintainer for them
The orthodontic treatment of using a space maintainer will be worn up to the end of your child’s development cycle if there are no permanent teeth (age 16 to 18). The gap will then be filled with a dental bridge, a dental implant, or a removable partial denture by the dentist
According to our pediatric dentist fixed space maintainer is quite simple to remove because it is just cemented into your tooth. Our orthodontist might be able to pull off the space maintainer using a dental drill to cut the band that surrounds your tooth
No. Not every child needs a space maintainer. This is because if a child loses their front tooth early, the space will remain the same until an adult tooth erupts in its place. However, we recommend you consult one of our top pediatric dentists in Dubai, to determine if a space maintainer is needed for your child.
