If your child has lost one of his primary teeth before its time don’t take it too lightly. “Baby teeth” are there for a reason. They’re holding the space open in readiness for the permanent teeth to take their place, as they erupt. When one or more of the baby teeth are lost prematurely there is the risk of the others inadvertently drifting into the empty space and upsetting the entire scheme of things.

On the other hand early tooth loss may not cause any problems at all, but your child should be evaluated if his baby teeth are starting to fall out before you think they should. Your pediatric dentist will be able to foresee a possible issue and suggest a remedy before any permanent damage can be done.

A space maintainer is typically used as a stand in for the missing baby tooth. It is a custom made appliance that can be either stationary or removable, but either way you can expect that it will take some time for your child to get used to wearing his space maintainer. If he is fitted with a maintainer that is there to stay he will need to be more careful about chewing gum or soft candies that can get stuck in the appliance. Any undue pressure from tongue thrusting or thumb sucking for instance, could loosen a space maintainer.

Prevention is a top priority at Kaelin Pediatric Dentistry. Call the office @ 303-805-8266 to consult with Dr. Kaelin.