SPACE MAINTAINERS IN PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

The primary dentition plays a very important role in the childs growth and development, not only in terms of speech, chewing, appearance and the prevention of deleterious habits but also in the guidance and eruption of permanent teeth. Exfoliation of deciduous teeth is a physiological process . Premature loss of deciduous teeth occurs owing to carious lesions which may eventually lead to the mesial migration of teeth resulting in loss of the arch length. It may manifest as malocclusion in the permanent dentition in form of crowding, impaction of permanent teeth. Even supra-eruption of opposing teeth and unparalleled differences in median lines may be recorded. Therefore the implementation of space maintainers is of profound significance thereby helping in the successful maintenance of the arch length by means of regaining the lost occlusal harmony function and aesthetics. Varied space maintainers ranging from metal to fibre reinforced ones have come into existence through gradual evolution of time.