Although the usage of space maintainers can reduce the severity of problems that arise from the early loss of teeth, there are concerns regarding the impact of fixed and removable appliances on factors that can lead to dental caries. All space maintainer appliances are plaque retentive since bands and brackets increase the retention of plaque and food on tooth surfaces, reduce the clearance of plaque by saliva and make conventional oral hygiene for plaque removal more difficult, therefore, they may cause caries development.Space maintainers can favor caries formation by changing the oral microflora. patients aged between 4-10 years, each of whom had an indication for a fixed (n=19) or removable space maintainer (n=19), were enrolled in this research. The salivary pH, saliva flow rate, Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts in saliva were measured just prior to the application of space maintainers (baseline-T0) and in the course of the follow-up; at the 1st (T1), 3rd (T2), and 6th (T3) months. The Wilcoxon, Mann-Whithney U test and Friedman tests were used for statistical analyses.
Space maintainers are used to preserve the space after premature loss of teeth but they could effect some factors that play a role in caries formation. The research aimed to assess the impacts of removable and fixed space maintainers on the salivary pH, flow rate, and Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus carriage.