RATIONALE

Learn about the rationale for the Space Maintenance Calculator and intended workflow.

The Space Maintenance Calculator was created to piece together information regarding space loss, space maintenance, and occlusion that I have acquired throughout my dental career.

ALGORITHMS WERE createD

During the early days of the pandemic with newfound free time, I began my space maintenance journey. Of note, this was before I started my orthodontics residency.

My goal was to simplify the decision-making process surrounding the placement of space maintainers. I figured that what I had learned at McGill and my dad’s office was enough to get the job done.

 

What I didn’t realize at the time was there is also a massive orthodontic piece to this puzzle that is often overlooked. This became clear to me during my orthodontics residency. As a result, I chose to put my algorithms on hold until I was better informed on the topic…

 

In order to become an expert, I chose space maintenance as the topic for my ortho residency literature review!

This website guides you through space maintenance for primary incisors, canines, and molars!

Decisions regarding incisors and canines are more straightforward, but molars can be challenging.

The crown jewel of this website is the calculator for premature loss of primary molars

The culmination of my experiences has led me to believe that for premature loss of primary molars, there should be a three-pronged approach to space loss and space maintenance. This is the first time such an approach has been proposed and does not appear anywhere in the literature. The three steps are as follows:

  • Step 1 - Space loss risk assessment

    First, based on 8 key questions, you will mathematically calculate the risk of space loss following premature loss of a primary molar.

  • step 2 - impact on occlusion

    Next, you must evaluate how this potential space loss might affect the developing occlusion, as not all children will be equally affected by space loss.

  • step 3 - space maintainer selection

    Finally, if the risk of space loss is significant (Step 1) and would negatively impact the developing occlusion (Step 2), you can systematically select the best space maintainer for your patient.

  • Step 1 sample

  • Step 2 sample

  • Step 3 sample