Why does my child need a space maintainer?
If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely, a space maintainer will maintain the space of the tooth to ensure that other teeth do not invade the space. Once the adult tooth begins to grow in, we’ll remove the space maintainer. Without the space maintainer, it may take years of orthodontic treatment to create enough space for the adult tooth.
What happens if my child doesn’t have a space maintainer placed?
After a baby tooth has been lost prematurely, neighboring teeth will begin to crowd the area, making it difficult for the adult tooth to erupt and come into its proper place. Once the gap or space has closed, the only way to correct it is through orthodontic treatment.