Pediatric Space Management

Primary dentition plays a crucial role in a child's overall growth and development. Primary tooth with proper mesiodistal width serve as best space maintainer for permanent dentition. The role of primary teeth is important, as it guides the eruption of permanent teeth. When this normal process is disrupted, it may lead to migration of teeth. This results in loss of arch length, which may manifest as malocclusion or parafunctional habit. Improper handling can also lead to impaired aesthetics and function. This further leads to psychological trauma in children and parents. Therefore, management of space is the primary concern of a pediatric dentist. A wide variety of space maintainers are available in the market. Each space maintainer is unique in its fabrication, appearance and function. Space management, despite being a crucial topic, does not have many books dedicated to it. Therefore, this book is an attempt to fill the gap by bringing the basic idea of making space management easier and more interesting , comprehensively.