Space Maintainers

Space maintainers help to “hold space” for permanent teeth. Your child may need one if he or she loses a baby tooth prematurely, before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. If a primary tooth is lost too early, permanent teeth can erupt into the empty space instead of where they should be.

When more permanent teeth are ready to come into the mouth, there may not be enough room for them because of the lost space. To prevent this from happening, the doctor may recommend a space maintainer to hold the opened space left by the missing tooth.