The missing tooth
Was it pulled because of decay, knocked out, or simply loose far too young? Give us that answer and a rough date. Earlier dental records are helpful. These help us understand the gap in the context of your child’s development.
Children’s Dentistry
Space Maintainers in Erin
Most of the work of a space maintainer happens at the bathroom sink, not in the dental chair. If you’re coming from Erin or Hillsburgh, we can tell you whether your child’s early gap needs one and show you the home routine that keeps it working.
Space maintainers and the routine at homeSee what home care would involve
Two minutes, twice a day
Picture the bedtime routine with a small band and wire in the back of your child’s mouth. Food tucks in around it, a toothbrush has to angle a little differently, and an adult usually needs to help. For a family in Erin weighing whether to go ahead, that daily picture is just as important as the dental reasoning.
The dental reasoning goes like this. A primary tooth lost too early leaves a gap, and the teeth on either side may drift into it before the adult tooth arrives. A space maintainer can hold that room in certain situations, but plenty of gaps are best left alone and watched. We decide by looking at which tooth is gone, how long ago it was lost, the space still there, the progress of the permanent tooth, and your child’s oral health.
If an appliance is right for your child, it has to be kept clean, checked at reviews, and eventually adjusted, replaced, or removed. We show you exactly how to care for it and explain its purpose before you agree.
Honest answers help us plan
Tell us how brushing really goes.
Your child’s routine is as important to the decision as the gap itself. You do not need to know which appliance would be suitable.
The adult tooth’s progress
We may suggest imaging to check the permanent tooth and nearby structures, since age alone does not predict when a tooth will erupt. Ask what the image is meant to show and how it could change the recommendation.
Brushing, habits, and cavities
If brushing is a nightly battle, say so. Mention current decay, thumb or finger habits, or any sensory or support needs. These factors influence whether an appliance can be kept clean, or whether monitoring or another approach is wiser.
A gap caused by a recent fall or knock should have the injury looked at first. Planning for the space comes once teeth and gums have been checked.
Why the effort can be worthwhile
A clean appliance can do its job.
The usual purpose of a maintainer is to keep the teeth beside an early gap from moving into it. It is a holding device, not one that moves teeth back if room is already gone. If you are unsure which situation applies, ask the dentist to explain.
Home care is closely tied to the risks. An appliance that is not cleaned or reviewed can collect plaque, irritate the gum, loosen, or break, and it may interfere with the arriving tooth. It does not guarantee ideal eruption, and orthodontic care may still be discussed in future.
Patient information: AAPD — developing dentition and space maintenance
A reason worth the routine
The dentist should explain how the recommendation relates to the specific missing tooth and how your child’s mouth is developing. Children of the same age can be advised differently. Ask what the appliance would protect against.
Reviews that check cleaning too
Each visit looks at the device, its supporting teeth, the gum around it, and eruption progress. It is also a chance to refine the brushing technique. Know when the next review falls and who will see your child.
Specialist advice where helpful
Some spacing or eruption patterns benefit from a pediatric dentist’s or orthodontist’s view as well. Ask about the purpose of a referral and how records will be shared, so the plan covers the whole developing mouth.
From assessment to a confident routine
We plan the care, then teach it.
The appliance is chosen to match findings and what can be managed at home. Ask whether it would be fixed or removable, since cleaning differs between the two.
Assess the gap and the routine
We examine the gap and nearby teeth, go over the story behind it along with earlier notes, and may suggest imaging for a specific eruption question. We also ask how brushing usually goes at home.
Weigh the options
We compare watching with any suitable appliance, including the intended benefit, the limits, and the daily care each requires. Where the neighbouring teeth have already crept in, we may suggest an orthodontic opinion instead. Review timing is agreed before anything goes ahead.
Fit the appliance
Some designs need impressions or measurements first. At placement, the clinician checks how the appliance sits on its anchor teeth and near the gum. Your child can say what feels unusual, and you will have a way to reach us if soreness continues.
Hands-on cleaning lesson
Before you leave, we show your child, and the adult who helps, how to brush and clean around the device, and go over food or wear advice. We explain what to do if it loosens. Reviews later check both the appliance and the adult tooth.
The daily routine
Brush, check, leave it alone.
Fixed and removable appliances need different handling, so follow the instructions for your child’s design and ask us before making changes.
Brush the anchor teeth with care
Angle the brush to reach around bands and under wires, using the method we demonstrated. Help younger children, and check older ones now and then. Mention any area that stays sore or hard to clean at the next visit, or sooner if it worries you.
Hands off, sticky foods aside
Discourage your child from pushing or pulling at the appliance. Follow the food advice you were given, often about sticky or very hard items. Never bend, tighten, or glue any part at home.
Keep every review
Attend planned checks even when cleaning is going well. Tell us if a new tooth appears or the device seems to sit differently. Growth changes what is needed, so any adjustment or removal is scheduled with us.
Home-care questions(905) 876-4488
Life with a spacer, day to day
Each appliance and each child is a little different. Ask about your child’s specific device rather than relying on general tips.
Should I floss around a fixed space maintainer?
Request the cleaning method suited to your child’s appliance. Some areas may need a particular technique or tool, and what works for one design may not suit another. A demonstration at fitting is the best guide, and you can ask for a refresher at any review.
My child hates brushing. Is an appliance still possible?
Mention it at the assessment. Reliable cleaning matters, and the dentist will weigh home care when recommending an approach. Sometimes monitoring or another plan is more realistic.
The gum around the band looks red. What should we do?
Keep brushing gently and call the clinic for advice, especially if it is sore, swollen, or not improving. The clinician may want to check the appliance and the gum.
Can my child use an electric toothbrush with a spacer?
Many families do, but check with the clinician for your child’s particular appliance, and bring the brush to a review if you would like a hand with technique. The main goal is thorough, careful cleaning around the device, whatever brush you use.
Does a spacer fix teeth that have already drifted into the gap?
No. A passive maintainer is meant to hold existing space. Recovering lost room is a different goal that may involve orthodontic assessment.
Should we wait for the next review if one side of the spacer moves?
Call promptly and describe what is moving. A partly loose appliance may need attention sooner, which is worth knowing before you set out from Erin. Discourage your child from testing it, and do not attempt to fix it at home.
From Erin and Hillsburgh
Learn the routine before you commit to it.
Contact our Bronte Street practice for an assessment of your child’s early gap or a check of an appliance already in place. Bring a rough date of tooth loss and any earlier advice, and we will talk through home care in detail.
An appliance may not be needed. We base advice, and any referral, on the exam and on how your child is growing.
Visit Milton Dental ClinicUnit 1, 342 Bronte St. S, Milton, ON L9T 5B7Get directions
Clinic hours
- Monday–Thursday
- 11am–7pm
- Friday–Sunday
- By appointment only
Areas we serve
- Milton
- Oakville
- Mississauga
- Georgetown
- Halton Hills
- Acton
- Campbellville
- Brampton
- Burlington
- Puslinch
- Rockwood
- Erin
- Caledon
- Etobicoke
- Old Milton
- Bronte Meadows
- Timberlea
- Dorset Park
- Dempsey
- Clarke
- Beaty
- Coates
- Harrison
- Scott
- Willmott
- Ford
- Bowes
- Cobden
- Walker
- Mountain View
- Milton Heights
- Hawthorne Village
- Valley View
- Fallingbrook
- Nassagaweya
- Trafalgar
- Esquesing
- Nelson
- Brookville
- Moffat
- Glen Williams
- Norval
- Limehouse
- Stewarttown
- Ashgrove
- Hornby
- Silver Creek
- Speyside
- Scotch Block
- North Oakville
- River Oaks
- Glen Abbey
- West Oak Trails
- Palermo
- Bronte Creek
- College Park
- Joshua Creek
- Uptown Core
- Preserve
- Iroquois Ridge
- Lisgar
- Meadowvale
- Meadowvale Village
- Churchill Meadows
- Erin Mills
- Central Erin Mills
- Streetsville
- East Credit
- Creditview
- Heartland
- Sheridan
- Mount Pleasant
- Credit Valley
- Huttonville
- Churchville
- Springbrook
- Northwest Brampton
- Bram West
- Fletcher's Meadow
- Fletcher's Creek South
- Alton Village
- Orchard
- Millcroft
- Headon Forest
- Tansley
- Brant Hills
- Tyandaga
- Kilbride
- Lowville
- Aberfoyle
- Morriston
- Arkell
- Hillsburgh
- Freelton
- Carlisle
- Waterdown
- Flamborough
- Mountsberg
