Post Space Maintainers Care

We have recommended and placed a space maintainer(s) in your child’s mouth for one of the following reasons:

1. To maintain the space for erupting permanent teeth
2. To maintain the current position of already erupted permanent teeth

Without the spacer, your child’s teeth may have difficulty staying in the correct position and may cause eruption issues with the adult teeth. The spacer will be left in place until we see the adult tooth coming through the gums.

Diet

• No eating for drinking for 60 minutes after the appointment. The cement needs to harden.
• Until we remove the spacer, avoid the following foods: gummies, caramels, gum, taffy, hard candies, or anything really sticky/chew.

Oral Hygiene

• Space maintainers can catch and collect extra food debris and plaque and can cause cavities if good oral hygiene is not maintained.
• To avoid cavities around your child’s spacer, help your child floss/brushing twice a day.
• Attend regular check-up and cleaning appointments every 6 months so that your child’s spacer can be checked for proper fit and position.

General Facts

• Do not allow your child to manipulate the appliance with their tongue, fingers or any other object as this can loosen the spacer.
• A loose spacer can be easily re-cemented if the appliance has not been bent or broken.
• If the spacer falls out or is loose, please contact our office as soon as possible.

Patient Comfort

• The appliance should not cause pain, however it may take a few days for your child to get used to the spacer.
• They may experience an increase of saliva production which can cause a change in speech or drooling until your child gets use to the appliance.