Toggle navigation
1030 River Place Drive Amery, WI 54001(715) 268-2103
  • blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Request Appointment

Patient Forms

Second Opinions "Free"
For Your Peace of Mind

  • Home
  • Your Team
    • Meet Dr. Rollyn Lee
    • Meet Dr. Heather Marks
    • Meet Our Team
  • Your Office
    • After Hours
    • Financial Policies
    • Map and Directions
    • New Patient Forms
    • Our Mission and Our Goals
  • Dental Services
  • Patient Information
    • Dental Glossary
    • Development of the Teeth
    • FAQ
    • Fun Links for Kids
    • Patient Education
      • Acid Experiment
      • ANUG Trench Mouth
      • Bad Breath
      • Bruxism Tooth Grinding
      • Chemo and Your Mouth
      • Conditions of the Tongue
      • Dental X Rays
      • Denture Care
      • Dry Mouth
      • Fluoride Experiment
      • How to Brush
      • How to Floss
      • How to Read X Rays
      • Oncology Guide
      • Smokeless Tobacco
      • Tooth Anatomy
      • Tooth Sensitivity
      • Toothpaste Ingredients
    • Post Op Instructions
      • Crowns and Bridges Post Op
      • Dentures Post Op
      • Extractions Post Op
      • Fillings Post Op
      • Gum Surgery Post Op
      • Porcelain Veneers Post Op
      • Root Canal Post Op
      • Scaling and Root Planing Post Op
    • Teeth Trivia
    • Tips for Parents
    • Useful Dental Links
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
    • Patient Privacy

Space Maintainers

Online Dental Education Library

Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.

Kid missing teeth.Your child's little baby teeth have some big responsibilities. Until the adolescent years, they will not only help your youngster bite and chew (i.e., get proper nutrition) and speak correctly but also help guide the permanent teeth underneath them into proper position. In fact, a major function of baby teeth is to hold space for the adult teeth that will eventually push them out.

At least that's how it's supposed to work; sometimes, however, injury or disease can cause a baby tooth to be lost prematurely. When that happens, the permanent teeth that are coming in on either side can actually drift into the space that was reserved for another tooth. This can cause teeth to erupt out of position or to be blocked entirely, and it may result in crowded or crooked teeth.

Fortunately, if your child loses a tooth prematurely, there's a dental appliance that can be used to hold the space open for the permanent tooth that is meant to fill it. The device is, not surprisingly, called a “space maintainer” or a “space maintenance appliance.” Made of metal and/or plastic, space maintainers can be fixed (cemented) or removable, but either way their purpose is the same: to help your child develop the best bite possible and hopefully avoid the need for braces later on.

Fixed appliances are cemented onto adjacent teeth. They are made in many different designs: One consists of a band that goes around a tooth and then a wire loop that extends out from the band to hold the space; another features a loop attached to a stainless steel crown, which goes over a nearby tooth. In either case, the loop extends just to the point where it touches the next tooth. Fixed space maintainers are often preferred with younger children, because they are less easy to fidget with, break, or misplace than appliances that can be removed.

Removable appliances look like the type of retainer that is worn at the end of orthodontic treatment. It can have a false tooth on it, which is particularly useful when the lost tooth was visible in the mouth. Older children can usually handle the responsibility of wearing this appliance and caring for it properly.

Whether fixed or removable, your child's space maintainer will be custom-made after we take impressions of his or her mouth. A child will wear a space maintainer until x-rays reveal that the tooth underneath is ready to erupt naturally. It is very important that anyone wearing a space maintainer keep up good oral hygiene at home and have regular professional dental cleanings.

Space maintainers are also useful when one or more permanent teeth are congenitally missing — in other words, they have never existed at all. In cases like this, which are not uncommon, permanent dental implant teeth are often recommended for adolescents or adults to replace a tooth they weren't born with. But timing is very important with dental implants — they can't be placed in a growing child. Therefore, it is very important to use a space maintainer with a false tooth on it until jaw growth is complete and an implant can be appropriately placed. It's a simple, non-invasive way we can avoid a malocclusion (bad bite) with some timely intervention.

Related Articles

Baby Teeth - Dear Doctor Magazine

Early Loss of Baby Teeth If baby teeth are lost prematurely, other teeth can shift into the new space so that there is not enough room left for the permanent teeth to come in correctly; crowding or crooked teeth can result. Fortunately, a special oral appliance called a “space maintainer” has been designed to solve this problem... Read Article


Patient Education

Patient Education Menu
  • Educational Videos
  • Cosmetic & General Dentistry
    • Cosmetic Tooth Bonding
    • Crowns & Bridgework
    • Fillings
    • Gummy Smiles
    • Inlays & Onlays
    • Mouthguards for Adults
    • Mouthguards for Children
    • Nitrous Oxide
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Removable Dentures
    • Smile Makeover
    • Snoring & Sleep Apnea
    • Teeth Whitening
    • TMD
    • Tooth-Colored Fillings
    • Tooth Contouring & Reshaping
    • Tooth Decay Prevention
    • Tooth Wear
  • Emergency Care
    • Gum Injuries
    • Orthodontic Emergencies
    • Tooth Pain
    • Traumatic Dental Injuries
  • Endodontics
    • Combined Root Canal & Gum Problems
    • Cracked Teeth
    • Root Canal Retreatment
    • Root Canal Surgery (Apicoectomy)
    • Root Canal Treatment
    • Root Canal Treatment FAQs
    • Root Canal Treatment for Children
    • Tooth Sensitivity
    • Whitening Traumatized Teeth
  • Oral Health
    • Aging & Dental Health
    • Antibiotic Premedicationfor Dental Treatments
    • Bad Breath
    • Blood Pressure Medications & Your Gums
    • Diabetes & Oral Health
    • Dry Mouth
    • Eating Disorders & Oral Health
    • Fluoride
    • Geographic Tongue
    • Missing Teeth
    • Nutrition & Oral Health
    • Oral Cancer
    • Oral Piercings
    • Osteoporosis & Oral Health
    • Pregnancy, Hormones & Oral Health
    • Preventive Dentistry
    • Professional Teeth Cleanings
    • Stress & Oral Habits
  • Oral Hygiene
    • How To Brush
    • How To Floss
    • Interdental Cleaning Devices
    • Mouthrinses
    • Oral Hygiene for Kids
    • Tips to Prevent Cavities
    • Toothpaste
  • Oral Surgery
    • Blood Thinners & Dental Procedures
    • Bone Grafting
    • Cleft Lip & Palate Repair
    • Corrective Jaw (Orthognathic) Surgery
    • Extractions
    • Facial Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery
    • Headaches & Migraines
    • Oral Cancer Screening
    • Oral Diagnosis and Biopsies
    • Sedation Dentistry
    • Sinus Surgery
    • Wisdom Teeth
  • Orthodontics
    • Adolescent Orthodontic Care
    • Adult Orthodontic Treatment
    • Brushing & Flossing with Braces
    • Early Orthodontic Treatment
    • Invisalign for Adults
    • Invisalign for Teens
    • Post-Orthodontic Care
    • Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADS)
    • Thumb & Finger Appliances
    • Types of Braces
    • Orthodontic Emergencies
    • Orthodontic FAQs
    • Orthodontic Headgear
    • Orthodontics & Dental Hygiene
    • Your First Orthodontic Appointment
  • Pediatric Dentistry
    • Age One Dental Visit
    • Fluoride & Your Child
    • Nitrous Oxide for Children
    • Pregnancy & Your Child's Developing Teeth
    • Sealants
    • Sleep Apnea & Behavior Problems in Children
    • Space Maintainers
    • Teething
    • Thumb Sucking
  • Periodontal Therapy
    • Cosmetic Gum Surgery
    • Gum Grafting
    • Loose Teeth & Bite Problems
    • Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment
    • Oral Systemic Connection
    • Periodontal (Gum) Disease
    • Periodontal Flap Surgery
    • Professional Teeth Cleanings
    • Ultrasonic Cleanings
  • Technology
    • Air Abrasion
    • Anesthesia Wand
    • Cone Beam CT Imaging
    • Digital Dental Impressions
    • Digital X-Rays
    • Intra-Oral Camera
    • Laser Decay Diagnosis
    • Laser Dentistry
    • Same-Day Crowns (CAD/CAM)

River Place Dental Is Ready...

To WELCOME YOU Back!

 

We hope this note finds you and your family in good health.  While many things have changed over

the last few months, one thing has remained the same:  Our Office's commitment to your

safety. River Place Dental has implemented additional safety precautions to help

protect our patients and team members. 

Thank you for being part of River Place Dental's Family!

Welcome back;  patients, neighbors and friends.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!!

715-268-2103

Our Location

1030 River Place Drive
Amery, WI 54001
(715) 268-2103

Map & directions

Office Hours
Monday:7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday:7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday:7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday:7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday:7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday:Closed
Sunday:Closed
  • Home
  • Staff
  • Offices
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Patient Education
  • Contact Us
  • Appointment Request
  • Dental Website Design Copyright © MH Sub I, LLC dba Officite
  • Disclaimer
  • Patient Privacy
  • Site Map