When I had a badly decayed tooth extracted, I got a partial denture to fill in the gap. I didn't mind it at first, because I was just so happy to have my painful tooth out of my mouth. Over time, I began to get tired of taking it out at night. I asked my dentist if I was could get a dental implant, and he said that my gum disease did not make me a good candidate, but a fixed bridge may be a good option for me. I went with his suggestion, and I have no regrets. I love feeling like I have a real tooth again that I don't have to remove at night. I created this blog to remind other people with a missing tooth that they have many replacement options, and if one is not for you, then try another that may be right.
Some children are accident prone and fall often. If your son or daughter is one of the kids, then you may constantly be seeking out emergency medical care. If your child falls and knocks out one of their baby teeth early, then this is not a specific emergency that needs to be addressed right away. However, you do not want to ignore the problem either. Treatments should be considered, so make a regular dental appointment with your local pediatric dentist. Keep reading to learn about a few treatments that may need to be implemented.
Placement Of Space Maintainer
If a tooth is lost prematurely, then the baby teeth and the emerging adult teeth may shift around and take up the space. If your child has a small mouth with crowded teeth, then this can cause a large shift in where the teeth sit in relation to where they are supposed to be located. To keep the teeth from moving around, a pediatric dentist can place a space maintainer in the mouth.
A space maintainer is a round metal bracket that sits in the space where the tooth was lost prematurely. This keeps the space available for the adult tooth to come into the opening when it is ready. The space saver is attached to one of the adjacent teeth. The device is kept in place until the adult tooth starts to emerge. Both x-ray images and tooth development charts will be used to schedule retainer removal. This is best to make sure the adult tooth does not get stuck in the jaw.
Securing Of A Bilateral Arch
If it is apparent that your child will need braces, then your dentist may decide to use an attachment that will keep the exposed adult teeth in position while also retaining the opening for the missing adult tooth. The attachment is called a bilateral arch. It is also a good option if more than one baby tooth has been knocked out prematurely.
The arch is a thick metal wire that sits behind the teeth. The wire is a rigid one and it it bent to run against each tooth at the gum line. Wide curves are created in the arch where the tooth space is located. The ends of the wire are then attached to brackets that sit on the back molars. Most wire arches are constructed to sit permanently in the mouth until all the adult teeth emerge or until an orthodontic assessment can be made. However, removable devices can also be constructed. This may be an option if the implement only needs to be used for a short period of time.
Share3 February 2017
