Baby teeth hold the space for the permanent teeth that will come in later. When baby canines and molars loosen or fall out, a lower lingual arch or a Nance space maintainer can be placed to ensure there is space when a child’s permanent teeth come in. The space maintainer prevents both the lower back permanent molars from slipping forward and the lower front permanent incisor teeth from tipping backwards. This saves or preserves the maximum amount of space for the permanent teeth (canines and bicuspids) that grow between the permanent back molar and the lower incisors.
This information is also available in: Spanish
