Custom space maintainers hold room for permanent teeth after a baby tooth is lost early, preventing crowding and future orthodontic problems.
Baby teeth do more than chew (each one holds a specific amount of space open for the permanent tooth developing beneath it. When one is lost early to decay or injury, the neighbouring teeth begin drifting into the gap within months. By the time the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, there may not be room. The result is crowding, impaction, or a permanent tooth that comes in badly out of position), and orthodontic treatment that would otherwise have been unnecessary.
A space maintainer is a small custom appliance, usually a thin metal band and wire, cemented to the tooth beside the gap. It holds the space open until the permanent tooth arrives, then it is removed. Fitting is straightforward: an impression or digital scan at one visit, and cementation at the next. There is no discomfort and children adapt within a few days.
the most common, for a single missing back tooth
used when a molar is lost before the permanent one has erupted
for multiple missing teeth in the lower jaw
the upper-jaw equivalent
toffee, gum and caramel are the usual culprits.
Brush around the band carefully; food traps easily.
Do not push or play with it, which is easier said than done.
it needs re-cementing promptly to keep doing its job.
Until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, anywhere from several months to several years. We monitor with periodic X-rays.
There may be mild awareness for a day or two, then children generally forget it is there.
Sometimes nothing happens. Often it means more complex and expensive orthodontic treatment later. We will give you an honest assessment of the risk in your child's specific case.
We are welcoming founding families ahead of our September 2026 opening in Waterdown.