Learn Everything You Need To Know About Dental Spacers
Posted on: 10 February 2015
Children start to lose their teeth at a rather young age. There are some children who become overly eager to lose their first tooth and will pull their tooth quite a few months or even years before it is ready to be pulled. When this happens, you need to take your child to see the dentist right away to ensure that a spacer can be put into place right away. Use the following guide to learn everything that you need to know about spacers.
What Is a Dental Spacer?
Spacers are small metal dental implements that are placed between teeth to keep a space between them. One side of the spacer wraps around a tooth that is adjacent to the space. This keeps the spacer in place without the need for surgery.
Why Would Someone Need a Spacer?
When someone pulls a tooth too early, a gap is left between their teeth. As people grow, their teeth will often shift within their mouth. As the teeth shift, they often start to fill the gaps because they are pushed together. If someone pulls a baby tooth too early, an adult tooth will grow in the gap eventually, but the space needs to be kept open to ensure that the tooth has a place to grow into when the time comes. A spacer keeps the space open.
How Long Does a Spacer Need to be Worn?
A spacer needs to be worn until the adult tooth starts growing into place. The amount of time the spacer needs to be worn can vary depending on the person. The dentist will be able to take x-rays to determine if the adult tooth is growing into place.
Does Insurance Cover a Spacer?
Some insurance companies will cover a spacer and some will not. Some insurance companies view spacers as being a cosmetic dental implement rather than a necessary one. They may require you to pay out of pocket for the spacer because they feel that it is a dental procedure that your child would not have needed if he or she had not pulled their tooth early.
Once the spacer is put into place, you can rest assured that your child's smile will not be ruined by the missing tooth. Putting the spacer into place takes a very short amount of time and is not painful at all. The dentist will need to monitor the spacer so you may have to bring your child back the dentist more often than you typically do. If your child is afraid of this necessary procedure, consider pain free dentistry options.
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