Space Maintainer
A fixed or removable orthodontic appliance placed following premature loss of a primary tooth to preserve arch space for the erupting successor.
Full Definition
A space maintainer is a preventive or interceptive orthodontic device designed to hold the space created by the early loss of a deciduous tooth until the permanent tooth erupts. Without space maintenance, adjacent teeth drift and tip into the extraction space, causing arch length deficiency. Common designs include the band-and-loop, distal shoe, and lingual arch. Editors should note that the term is two words (not 'spacemaintainer' or 'space-maintainer' as a noun) and that it must be distinguished from a space regainer, which actively reopens space that has already been lost.
Usage
Usage note: Two words as a noun; hyphenate only when used attributively ('space-maintainer design'). Distinguish from 'space regainer'.
In Context
- "A band-and-loop space maintainer was fitted following extraction of the lower-left first primary molar." — Paediatric dental record
- "The draft incorrectly hyphenated 'space-maintainer' as a noun; the editor removed the hyphen per style guidance." — Editorial correction