SPACE MAINTAINERS

Early loss of primary teeth causes drifting of an adjacent tooth into the space, resulting in malposition of teeth and reduced space. Therefore, primary teeth are called the Best Space maintainers one can have.

Numerous misconceptions are floating among the new parents related to the importance of baby teeth. Several of them think that milk teeth are not important as they are anyway going to fall in a few years. But, as recommended by WHO and dentists worldwide, Milk teeth are as important as permanent teeth for the child’s comprehensive physical, mental, and emotional development.

Importance of primary teeth

Primary teeth maintain space for adult teeth and act as a guiding path for proper positioning of permanent teeth.
Primary teeth are needed for chewing, and any decay is bound to hamper the chewing ability.
The presence of teeth helps in speech development, facilitating the correct pronunciation during the speech.
Teeth and associated structures help in the development of the shape of the face.
Develops self-confidence and improves emotional well-being.

Aim of using space maintainers

Preserves space for permanent teeth.
Helps in esthetics and phonetics.
Aids in the proper development of the facial structure.

Types of space maintainers

Band and loop space maintainer
A lingual arch space maintainer
Trans palatal arch
Nance palatal arch

One single step towards the oral health of your child today will prevent major orthodontic problems tomorrow.

Healthy smile equals to Happy Child!

Habit Breaking Treatment protocols

Your baby sucking his/her thumb, lying in bed is one of the cutest memories of their childhood. But, if this habit continues for a long duration, it is bound to weigh heavily on your child’s growth. And if not taken care of during the initial stage, the situation may get out of hand and can have a major impact on them.

There is a need for awareness among the parents as most of us don’t have the required knowledge about certain oral habits which are harmful to the overall health. Oral habits such as thumb sucking, mouth breathing, lip biting are easily neglected by parents but these can cause malformations at an early age which will prove detrimental in the future.

Harmful effects of Oral Habit

An oral habit like thumb sucking is normal till the age of pre-schoolers but if the habit persists it will cause a serious effect on teeth. The teeth malformations will be visible even when the mouth is closed.
Mouth breathing leads to crooked teeth, oral infections facial deformity, and increased risk of facial deformity.
Bruxism– It is clenching of teeth unconsciously while sleeping which damages teeth structure.
It leads to serious health conditions like ear infection due to thumb sucking.
It changes the alignment of teeth which is not good esthetically.

Treatment for eradicating oral habits

For the treatment of oral habits, it first starts with the counseling of parents who are made aware of the future ramifications of these habits. Once counseling is done, the treatment plan is developed, analyzing the behavior pattern of the child and devising ways to modify the concerning behavior healthily.

The second stage involves physical exercises and the use of habit-breaking appliances like tongue crib, thumb guard, bluegrass appliance, etc.

Prevention and interception of these harmful oral habits at an early stage is the only way to maintain the healthy smile of your child. At Charter Oak Dental in New Britain, Connecticut, we understand the importance of a child’s smile and provide the utmost care to preserve that smile.

Better Teeth ,Better Health!