Space maintenance: from etiology to interception

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: the maintenance of space, when early loss of primary teeth occurs, prevents a potential problem - tooth migration - from determining the formation of a malocclusion, constituting a preventive orthodontic maneuver. The loss of a deciduous tooth is considered premature when it is lost before its permanent successor has started the process of eruption. OBJECTIVE: this article aims to review the literature related to the early loss of deciduous teeth, emphasizing its etiology, its consequences on the development of the stomatognathic system, and, also, the devices indicated to prevent the establishment of malocclusions. METHODS AND MATERIALS: the search for the referenced articles was carried out in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Laboratory appliances were made in plaster models in order to demonstrate the possibilities and indications of fixed or removable appliances, for different situations involving early tooth loss. CONCLUSION: preventing and intercepting incipient problems is much easier than correcting them in the future.