We were thinking why should we put her through all this if in the long run those 6 year molars might end up being pulled. i tend to drive myself crazy over everything when it involves my children. The best space maintainer in adults is to replace the empty space with a false tooth, by getting a bridge or an implant. One of them has fallen out twice in 5 months…causing concern (choking on metal spacer ),restricted diet, expense and most of all…the child is now fearfiul of this whole experience and so are we all. He agreed that the orthodonist could deal with it later. My husband and I said “no way” but when I researched other sites, other moms were saying the spacer was necessary and made me feel like I was not a good mom!! 3 – You can try rewarding her with something she wants for going to the dentist. It has been most helpful and I feel much better about choosing not to do a spacer. told by ndentist that they needed to remain in place until he was 12ish and could not eat any crunchy or sticky food while spacers in place. Thanks. My pallat is extremely small so I had lots of teeth removed as an adult and I’m afraid they’ve inherited it. Warm saline rinses: The main aim of rinsing is to clean the area of extraction as it is not possible to brush the socket. If you (or others that may be reading this) have any other ideas, please reply so others can try them in the future. Now i went to see someone else and it is too late. A space maintainer is commonly referred to as simply a spacer. My 6.5 year old son had his top molar extracted in late July. She only has 2 baby teeth to lose. A space maintainer will conserve the space left by the extracted tooth. My Daughter had a molar extracted and a spacer put in. One of them were attached to the spacer. There are many many risks with the “silver” fillings that most of us are not aware of. I plan to wear brace in the next two years when I get back to my country ( because now I am abroad.) You can read more about these at this page (it is the third image down – also take a look at the two x-rays below that which show how it works). Should I do something? Dry socket treatment includes: Flushing out the socket. Not sure we would risk that again however. Well as we all know life doesn’t work that way so the faster kids learn that the better they will be able to cope. The ortho suggested extracting her wisdom teeth now. can i still put a spacer for him or it is too late? This time it’s loose again and again she says she hasn’t had any chewy/sticky foods. The roots are fully resorbed and the big girl teeth appear to already be breaking through the gums per the dentist reading the x-ray. Thanks for your comment, Damian. Or is this her scab? My son is not as responsible brushing his teeth as he should be and there’s no way he will keep this clean and deal with this, I’m sure we will be back to the dentist to have this removed, there must be some other alternative. Don’t rinse for 24 hours after the tooth extraction, and spit only gently. My 6 year old daughter just had a crown and a spacer added to a back tooth she had removed. It impedes his speech and I asked the dentist if we could just take it out since his lower teeth are already so crooked that he will likely need braces anyway. First thing tomorrow morning, they are coming out! Any other reasons the spacers on the bottom keep coming loose? I also didn’t know about the health risks and pain my son would be in . My daughter is having a molar removed (actually the same one from your pictures) due to it being fused to her jaw. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Have a great weekend! It was AWFUL!!! My 6 year old son had crowns placed on”S” and “T”. This site is intended for educational, informative, and entertainment purposes only. Yesterday they put one stainless steel crown and filled one cavity and then they offered me the option to wait till next visit to put in the spacer because it was getting late and my son had been there awhile. My son had his first molars removed in July. My concern is with him being autistic and non-verbal. but after reading your articles i think i have done a blunder to my child. I was wondering if I needed to go back to the dentist to have them fix this? Poor kid, it was infected and so they pulled it out. I understand the need to keep this space open for permanent teeth BUT??? Due to the illness of the pediatric dentist,(which I was not made aware of until after our first time visit to the office in August -in August they had another dentist evaluate my son’s month. Tooth Spacer Care. Especially if you believe she will braces anyways. An hour or so later he came out with two pulled molars and two new spacers over the open wounds. They are falling out naturally with no cavities or abscesses. He has not been able to eat properly and is also complaining of pain. After some research and talking to others about it this is what I have come up with so far. Leaving a space in the mouth without the spacer as a placeholder for support can increase the risk for other teeth to loosen, move, and change positions. Parts of a Dental Implant: The Implant, Abutment, and Crown, Dental Gingival Retraction Cord: What It Is and Why We Use It, What You Should Do When a Crown Falls Off of Your Tooth, Adult Permanent Teeth Coming In Behind Baby Teeth: Shark Teeth, Pain Caused By a High Filling – Why It Happens and How to Fix It. Let’s say there’s a giant crowd of people waiting in line for the chance to read the latest article on Oral Answers. I had that hole forever until one day it was filled!!!! Three years without a space maintainer may cause some shifting problems. I am 22 years old. I think that if there was no expectation already of braces being needed in the future that we might further consider it but the toxic nature of them right now is just too big an issue to look past. I have an 11 year old son who needs 6 teeth removed – one ortho says he needs a maintainer and the other says a retainer (he says it helps if my son grinds his teeth) what is the big difference – I do know the retainer does cost a bit more? Visualization is crucial for successful surgical extractions.The tooth is held in the alveolus by the period… Using a maintainer is a great way to ensure the teeth don’t move out of their designated space. I’m very concerned because my son just had a spacer put in, it hurts & is pushing right into the gums. She has a tooth coming through the opening on the spacer. Or pulling the teeth before they naturally fall out? I decided to go without spacer after reading other sites and yours. No! Part of the spacer is laying in the hole where the tooth was pulled out. I am so glad to see that other moms feel this way. I am concerned that this will happen again if I am not doing something I need to to prevent it from coming out again. My 8 year old is at the dentist now with my husband getting a molar pulled and the dentist tried to convince on the spacer. My name's Tom and I'm a dentist in rural Virginia. You can read this article about why baby teeth are important to see that an abscess can damage the permanent tooth. please guide me. thank you so much!! Straight, white and beautiful. I have had a space maintainer in my mouth for around 9 or 10 years but I think I may have swallowed it while eating… it was originally put in when a baby tooth came out with no adult tooth to replace it. So it looks just like the band and loop but without one side missing. djw22109@gmail.com. not sticking out as far as her other teeth.im hoping these will eventually come the rest of the way out. I have an 8 year old daughter and the destist is telling me that her 6 year old molars are coming in crooked and hitting the baby molars and they are gonna make them fall out. There is loss of self-image and self-esteem and a feeling that you are getting old. You can also subscribe without commenting. Thank you I’m hesitant to get something like this because he loves gummy bears and other hard candies like StarBursts, etc. Dawn. I’m in the same boat. This site has been very helpful, my gut is telling me this whole thing is wrong. This looks horrible and I can’t imagine my son enduring this in his mouth for 3 years until he is 12 years old, what other alternatives are there to maintain the space between his teeth? My daughter had four molars removed when she was 6 and 7 and they never put space maintainers in. They will be able to let you know if the tooth will still be able to come in or if a space maintainer would help at this point. Chewing away from the area of the tooth extraction is a simple strategy. I’m really quite afraid to put my baby through so much pain and I’m also afraid that the spacer will break or loosen. As for her teeth, we always knew she would need braces and that in fact is still true. My daughter is six and lost her bottom tooth beside the permanent mollar the dentist said it was to soon and she needs a spacer so the mollar doesn’t move since it’s permanent it’s going to cost a lot and she isn’t covered what are the chances of this mollar moving. It’s not an emergency, but I’m sure the dentist will try to see her relatively soon to have the spacer removed. I’m so glad to find your site. I just removed a space maintainer last week and it was stuck on there VERY well even after putting up with chewing forces for years. Consequently, it’s worth bearing a few recommendations in mind. they have only come in half way. It seems she is destined for braces anuwau so what is the use? Our dentist wants to pull them and put spacers in for 4 – 6 months. Hi Janete – I’m sorry to hear that. My 7 year old son got his 2 molars extracted last year and just got his spacers put 2 days back. I’m getting one of my teeth pulled out in a few days and I am going to get a space maintainer then I get braces on top of that. I took all metal out of my mouth lately, so I do not want to put any toxic material in my kid’s body. As for getting her to go back here’s a few suggestions: 1 – You can be honest with her and tell her that her permanent teeth might not come in if she doesn’t get the space maintainer. I’ve been declining sealant as well. Also i would like to know if there is any chance of having her permanent tooth appear a bit earlier? Hi Julie – The permanent “premolar” or “bicuspid” teeth are what will replace those two baby teeth that were removed. I hope that helps! Are my teeth still growing? I hope that helps – have a great day! Is there any difference between now and in two months to add the space maintainer? How soon after the tooth is extracted should the spacer be placed in . On top of it the spacer popped off the tooth on one side, has cut the other side of his tongue, and his upper gums have been bleeding on and off. I have a six yr. old son who had 2 top molars out and spacer placed in Luckily, since there shouldn’t be any pain with her next appointment, it may not be necessary. That sounds like a much more efficient method of making a band and loop spacer. He has crowns around both back teeth and a wrinkled wire running between them. He is a tough little boy, but this is way too much and I went against my better judgment and had them put on. Even removing it affected the other tooth that the spacer was connected to on the other side of her mouth and she cried and could not eat for almost a week. Many people worry about tooth extraction pain, but the good news is that modern anesthetic techniques make it as comfortable as possible. Many thanks I have been watching it closely. I imagine that it would probably be a lot easier for the child to eat and keep the area clean with that design. I assumed that they would come in around 6 yrs old. What is it made out of? How long from extraction to a spacer being required….our dentist said about 6 weeks. I solder one side, clip it about 2 inches long, bring it to the patient, try it on measure and bend it into an L shape, clipping off the excess. She has braces now and they are trying to make space she is 9. Send thanks to … We tried the Benadryl first and it works for him. Thanks. Is this ok or will the tooth be deformed because of the spacer. Another concern is if it is a permanent fixture and he is non-verbal, I take it that we would have to get regular checkups for X-Rays to make sure that it isn’t causing any issues with the adult tooth when it decides to pop up a few years from now. before his dental visits and make sure they give him gas a little longer before procedures. My son just had a spacer put in two days ago. Most children will not tolerate removable space maintainers so nearly all of them are fixed with a very strong cement that holds them in place. I’d love to know what you all decided and how it is turning out thus far! Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise . The adult tooth is not suppose to come until close to 10 years of age. It’s been about 1 mth. My son is 6 and just recently has had to have two of his bottom right molars removed(both baby teeth) his adult molar next to those is now coming in. Keep us updated on what happens at the appointment. Will the teeth really grow together before the adult teeth come in? Only a health professional that is examining you in person, with a patient-doctor relationship can truly understand your unique situation. Any advice? The space looks the same. Hi, My daughter is 7 years old, Dr. advised to extract tooth B & I, and she was telling us to put the space maintainer. I get a lot of messages asking for updates and soon as we start braces I will check back here. My first lower molar was removed dued to some dental problem. Of course, not choosing a tooth replacement will save you money immediately. So far all her adult teeth coming in have been wonderful and nothing looks “off” on her x-rays. Brandon had a side tooth pulled about a year ago, he was 8 and our AMAZING German dentist said to not even bother for the reasons already mentioned:) hope this helps . Do you have any questions or comments about space maintainers (spacers)? Thanks! All that they would need to do to get the space maintainers in would be to take an impression of her teeth and then make the space maintainer using that cast. Today is sunday and tomorrow is memorial day and everything is closed. What do i do? Let me know if you have any other questions. Hi my 10 year old daughter has a spacer on the right upper side of her teeth and it has been there for a few years now. My daughter has begged me not to do it again. We have moved and gone through three dentists since the spacer issue came up and her last one didn’t think the risk was really worth it either. I am not sure what to do. The cost is $600. Dental – Does my daughter really need a spacer? The dentist or oral surgeon creates space around the tooth by using a handpiece to reshape the bone so the tooth has room to pass through. He wants to pull out the baby molars and put spacers with some type of orthodontic pushing something that will push the 6 year molars back so they don’t keep moving forward. I am glad we skipped the spacers! This is more than a little filling too, it is a lot of metal. My 8 year old son is on his way to get spacers put in before braces next week. old and his back tooth was extracted 2 yrs ago. He brushes his teeth twice a day, as well as rinses with mouth wash twice a day, and flosses once a day… What am I missing?!? Hi Tom, Obviously, I would discuss your concerns with your son’s dentist. Use pillows to prop your head up when you lie down. To make space for tooth realignment with an orthodontic appliance; To allow dentures or implants to be fitted; In this guide, we'll explain what to expect when you have a tooth taken out. If it is causing discomfort and pain, it would be a good idea to have it looked at by the dentist to ensure that everything is alright. I am happy to the $200 per cavity to have ceramic put in, it is a lot more than the metal costs but worth it. He had spacers put in and has had no problems before now. The doctor said that it happens sometimes that the teeth can move within 4 weeks. Our daughter actually just had to have 6 more baby teeth pulled. I guess you don’t learn everything in dental school , I need some info about my spacer I am going to get taken off tomorrow pleas give me some info I am sceard. Also, the teeth above the lost tooth will erupt a little more to fill in the space below. My daughter had spacer put in 3 years ago we have since moved and just started with a new dentist I was told they were going to remove her spacer (she is 9 ) and see how how she does and then she will have to have another one put in. Could you please tell me if it can cause problems if the spacer is pushing down on the gums where the extracted tooth had been? My daughter had two baby teeth pulled for cavities and the dentist said he figures she would need space maintainers but would have to do X-rays to see for sure. Hi am 13 my ortho put space mainters on my top and bottom its two rings cemented to my molars and they kinda bother me to eat and how long do you think they are going to keep them there. I am worried about his adult teeth not coming in straight. That’s the way it was put. It is important to note that when kids naturally lose their teeth, there is no need for a space maintainer. and its $170 JUST for the gas. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me. They aren’t missing any teeth but is there anything the dentist can to make their pallat bigger? There's no need to even register to leave a comment, although you might want to read the commenting guidelines. In extreme cases, if an extracted tooth is not replaced, your bite may change in a way that strains the jaw joints and causes TMJ disorders. Sometimes though, extraction of a tooth is necessary. Amy. I felt horrible. Should we just pull the 6 year old molars now and avoid the whole spacer, since he said we are gonna run into the same problem with the 10 or 12 year old molars.