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Space Maintainers

Space maintainers are appliances used in the mouth to preserve and maintain space. They are necessary when one or more primary molars have been prematurely lost due to trauma or disease. Using a space maintainer allows the permanent teeth to erupt, or grow, into the correct alignment with proper tooth-to-tooth contact.

Are space maintainers painful?

Space maintainers don’t hurt at all. Your child may feel a bit of discomfort for a few days after the maintainer is placed, but this is normal. Once they adjust to how it feels, it will cause absolutely no pain, and your child will likely forget that it’s even there.

Are space maintainers really necessary?

And they save space for your permanent teeth. Some children don’t lose all their baby teeth until they’re in middle school, so maintaining enough space in their mouths for adult teeth is important! If a baby tooth is lost too soon, the teeth beside it may tilt or drift into the empty space.

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