When your children lose their primary teeth too early, this could impact how permanent teeth arrive and lead to misalignment and other complications. But we can help prevent this with the use of a custom space maintainer. In today’s blog, your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist talks about the benefits of space maintainers.
The Loss of Primary Teeth
Kids lose their baby teeth throughout childhood, this is natural. When they’re lost, the permanent teeth erupt and the baby teeth on each side of the gap help ensure proper eruption for their permanent teeth. But if a tooth is lost early to tooth decay or infection, this could alter how the permanent teeth arrive. As a result, smiles could be at risk for serious misalignment and other issues. But with a space maintainer, our team can help ensure proper eruption.
The Space Maintainer
The space maintainer is an orthodontic appliance we offer kids as part of our first phase of treatment, in which we guide the growth of the smile to limit misalignment severity until treatment can be completed with braces or aligners in the teen years. The device is custom-made and fitted for your smile, and helps prevent the surrounding teeth from drifting from position, so permanent teeth can erupt without difficulty. These can be fixed in place or removable, and attached to one or both sides of the mouth. We typically recommend fixed to limit the chances of the appliance being lost. Kids need to brush and floss as they normally would, and we will monitor their smiles without daily visitors every few months.
Continuing Care in the Teen Years
Once all of your child’s permanent teeth erupt and the surfaces properly calcify, we can finish their orthodontic treatment. With either metal braces, metal braces with ceramic brackets, or Invisalign® aligners, our team will shift the teeth into their proper position to help kids enter adulthood with a straighter and more attractive smile, and one that is much healthier too. If your child is showing signs of poor alignment, remember that we can start care as young as age seven. If you have any questions about our phased approach to children’s orthodontics, or about our space maintainers in particular, then contact our team today to learn more.
Your Shirley, NY, Orthodontist and Pediatric Dentist Treats Childhood Misalignment
We’re ready to help your children avoid the complications of premature tooth loss with our custom and effective appliances. To learn more about our phased orthodontics and other treatment options for little smiles, then contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600. We can help kids enjoy optimal oral health again, and we also offer orthodontics for kids and adults alike!
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