If a child loses a tooth prematurely or has a baby (primary) tooth extracted due to dental decay, the dentist may use a space maintainer to help support your child's dental health. It is an appliance that is custom-made by a dentist from acrylic or metal material and can be either removable or cemented in the mouth. The purpose is to keep the space open to allow the permanent tooth to erupt properly into place. If a space is not maintained, then teeth can shift into the open space and orthodontic treatment with or without oral surgery may be required.

 

The child should be seen by the dentist regularly to monitor the progress of treatment with the space maintainer and continue to receive regular six-month professional cleaning appointments.