Caring for your child’s oral health is equally important as their general health. It will establish confidence in them and also plays a major role in nutrition and their overall well being. Early loss of teeth can cause difficulty in speech and their chewing abilities.
Deciduous teeth are often neglected in society because of their shorter time of existence in oral cavity. However, they are equally important as they guide the permanent tooth to erupt in their place and hence aiding a proper alignment.
When a deciduous or commonly called as milk tooth is lost at an early age(i.e. before an year of eruption of permanent tooth) , we usually prevent the drifting of other tooth into the space allotted for permanent teeth to erupt. This procedure is called as space maintenance.
Depending on various factors space maintainers are broadly of two types.
If it is a removable space maintainer , it requires some patience from the guardian’s side as it will take some time for the child to get accustomed to the appliance. Maintenance of the appliance plays a major role in preventing further infections. The child is advised to maintain his oral hygiene by regular brushing and flossing if required.
If it is a fixed space maintainer, the child is advised not to eat sticky foods, especially toffees and chewing gums as it may get stuck in between the appliance or the appliance may come off with the eatable And in general , the patient is advised not to put finger or tongue and try to tug the appliance as it leads to loosening of the appliance.
Constant monitoring is required from every 3 months to 6 months till the permanent tooth gets erupted.
Copyright@ 2022 Pedo Pearlz | All Rights Reserved | Design by AppaddIndia Pvt Ltd