Space maintainers
We all know that there can’t be infancy without abrasions and bruises…
But sometimes children experience teeth injuries that cause premature tooth loss, long before it is time for the permanent to erupt.
This may cause orthodontic problems in the future because the adjacent teeth tend to move into the remaining gap. This prevents the permanent tooth from erupting in the right position and in the right direction. The situation may result in crooked teeth and the balance of denture may be affected.
To avoid this development, we use a space maintainer appliance, which prevents the adjacent teeth from moving and maintains the gap. So the permanent tooth will have the required space to erupt normally.
The appliance is custom made for your child, based on the morphology of his or her mouth. It is easily worn, small, and usually the children get used to it easily after a few days.
Preventive Orthodontics
The age of 6-8 years is critical for the oral morphology of humans. Primary teeth are lost, permanent teeth erupt, the jaws continue to grow. At this age, we can diagnose orthodontic problems. If they are left untreated in time, they may require more extensive treatments in the future.
At this stage of child development, we often find:
- premature tooth loss
- gaps caused by prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use
- tongue thrust
- crowding
- hyperdontia (supernumerary teeth)
- upper teeth protrusion with fracture risk
- various forms of malocclusion
Treatment at this stage is preventive, lasts only a few months and is more easily accepted by the child. In addition, we can still “guide” the growth of the jaws.
We mainly use removable appliances that are easy to use, functional and do not cause any particular problems for children.
In case of supernumerary teeth, an early extraction could protect the child from future problems.
Often the problems subside if the child simply stops habits, such as thumb sucking, pacifier use or tongue pressure on the front teeth.
In some cases, preventive treatment require two phases to be completed. But if an early diagnosis has been made, the second phase is simple and lasts little. Finally, with prevention we usually avoid treatment with braces.
