BABY TEETH & SPACE MAINTAINERS
"Can You Just Pull It?"

In the illustration, you'll see a baby tooth alongside an adult tooth. Suppose we experience an early loss of a baby second molar. When this tooth is lost, the adult tooth, which is in the bud stage, will eventually erupt into the space left behind. However, this process may take a year or two.

What can occur during this time is that the molar behind it might drift inwards and tilt, blocking the path for the adult tooth trying to emerge correctly. Fortunately, this problem can be easily prevented by using a space maintainer. A simple band is placed around the molar with a small wire loop that connects to the primary first molar in this situation. Once the tip of the adult tooth starts appearing in the mouth, the space maintainer can be removed, resolving the issue.

Unfortunately, in the X-ray scenario to the right of the video, a space maintainer wasn't used in this patient's case. It's worth noting that sometimes these oversights occur. In this instance, about three millimeters of space were lost, requiring orthodontic treatment to reposition the teeth correctly.

By employing a straightforward space maintainer, we can save you a significant amount of time and effort. If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to contact our office.