PLACEHOLDERS

PLACEHOLDERS

One of the key functions that baby teeth perform is to act as placeholders for the permanent teeth that replace them. If the baby tooth is lost early and appropriate steps are not taken in time to preserve the space it occupies, problems often arise.

Depending on the child’s current stage of dental development, there may be problems with permanent tooth alignment. Under normal circumstances, premature loss of a child’s primary teeth will result in gradual erosion of the baby tooth’s root if no additional precautions are taken. Early loss of a baby tooth can result in loss of space for the permanent tooth.

What Happens When a Baby Tooth is Lost Too Early?

If the child’s second primary molar is lost early, its stabilizing effect is also lost. This means the next tooth ridge may drift or lean forward. This is a common situation. This shift in position can also affect the position of the biting teeth, as well as the teeth that will eventually come behind them. Although much less likely, the tooth in front of the lost tooth may shift backwards.

How Do Placeholders Avoid the Problem

In cases where the gap caused by premature loss of a baby tooth is at risk of closing, space maintainers can be placed in the tooth gap. Using this type of treatment will preserve the extent of the area covered by the missing baby tooth.

As a result, and simply by wearing this type of simple space maintainer, the need for major orthodontic work later to correct complications that may occur later is completely avoided.

Placeholders are typically manufactured from metal tape and wire. The space maintainer fits around the tooth where the retainer will be filled. A wire attached to the band extends from it to the tooth on the other side of the space of the missing tooth and then back in a continuous loop.