Need of space maintainer in 5 to 7 years-old schoolchildren.

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth caries is the most common cause of the early loss of deciduous teeth. To avoid undesirable movement, it is often necessary to implement a space maintainer. Objective: To determine the percentage of children who require space maintainers, and evaluate the relationship between age and space maintainers in a school population of students aged 5 to 7 years in Concepcion, 2009. Methodology: Cross sectional study. The universe had 340 students aged 5 to 7 years, enrolled in the Family Health Center, Lorenzo Arenas. The selection consisted of 127 school children of random sampling. The status of canines and molars and the required treatment (none, mining or other) was recorded with a clinical examination, to determine the need for a space maintainer. Results: Of the 127 schoolchildren examined: 21 (17%) needed space maintainer and 106 (83%) not required. Of all who needed a space maintainer: 23.8% are 5 years of age,38.1% are 6 years of age and 38.1% are 7 years. The statistic result between the need for a space maintainer and age was p=0.6514. Conclusion: A 17% of the population study requires a space maintainer. There was no statistically significant relationship between children’s age and the need for a space maintainer.

Keywords

• Space maintainer
• schoolchildren
• Concepción