Space Maintainer. Besides being useful for chewing, baby teeth also act as a guide for the eruption of the permanent teeth that replaces them. If a baby’s tooth is lost too early, the permanent tooth that comes after it loses its guide, so it could drift or erupt into the wrong position in the mouth. Neighboring teeth also can move or tilt into the space, reducing the space available for the permanent tooth to come out. Space maintainers are appliances used when a baby tooth is lost too early to help make room for the permanent tooth it was intended to guide.
Appears in 3 contracts
Sources: Limited Benefit Contract, Limited Benefit Contract, Individual Dental Contract