Space Maintainers

Does a space maintainer hurt?

Space maintainers are not meant to move or shift any teeth, so there is usually no pain associated with them. Kids generally get used to them quickly.

Do space maintainers fall out?

Unfortunately, space maintainers can break or fall off of the tooth or teeth that they are cemented to. Your child must avoid sticky and crunchy foods/snacks (e.g., hard candy, fruit leather or rolls, gum, chewy candy) because these food choices may break or cause the space maintainer to come out or become loose.

What to avoid

If your child has a space maintainer they should avoid eating tacky candies. These kinds of candies, when bitten into, require excessive force to separate the teeth, which can result in spacer failure. They also should avoid hard foods like nuts, uncooked carrots, pretzels, ice, and hard pizza crust. They can bend, distort, or break space maintainers.