Functional Space Maintainer with Bilateral Early Loss of Primary Maxillary First Molars: NAFC

Abstract

The primary dentition plays a very important role not only in the child’s growth and development but also in the guidance and eruption of permanent teeth. Premature loss of a deciduous tooth or a group of teeth will lead to a wide range of implications in the permanent dentition. The best way to avoid these problems is to preserve the primary teeth in the arch until their normal time of exfoliation. However, in cases where extraction of teeth is unavoidable due to extensive caries, the safest option to maintain arch space is by placing a space maintainer. The present case report is about a 4-year-old male patient with bilaterally decayed, nonrestorable primary maxillary first molars. After examination and radiographic investigations, it was decided to extract teeth 54 and 64. Since the permanent successors were still in Nolla’s stage 4, a space maintainer was planned to prevent any migration and space loss. To encourage a positive outcome, it was decided to carry out prosthetic intervention using a Nance appliance with functional components. After the replacement of the missing teeth, a marked improvement in function, along with space maintenance, was seen.