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NEW We’re now welcoming new patients.

Magnolia Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics

#1 Chicago Pediatric Dentist | Dr. Melissa Connell , DMD

Drs. Melissa Connell and Megan Davenport – work together to ensure your child has a pleasant, happy experience at each visit!

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Space Maintainers for Lost Teeth

If your child loses a baby tooth very early such as in an accident or injury, a space maintainer may be used to give support to other teeth to help protect their development.

Space Maintainers

Baby Teeth are Critical For Development

Sometimes injury or disease can cause a baby tooth to be lost prematurely. When that happens, the permanent teeth that are coming in can actually drift into the space that was reserved for another tooth. This can cause teeth to erupt out of position or to be blocked entirely, which may result in crowded or crooked teeth.

Fortunately, if your child loses a tooth prematurely, there’s a dental appliance we can use to hold the space open for the permanent tooth that is meant to fill it. The device, called a “space maintainer,” is made of metal and/or plastic and can be fixed (cemented) or removable, but either way, their purpose is the same: to help your child develop the best bite possible and hopefully avoid the need for braces later on.

Fixed Space Maintainers

Fixed appliances are cemented onto adjacent teeth. They are made in many different designs: One consists of a band that goes around a tooth and then a wire loop that extends out from the band to hold the space; another features a loop attached to a stainless steel crown, which goes over a nearby tooth. In either case, the loop extends just to the point where it touches the next tooth. Fixed space maintainers are often preferred with younger children because they are less easy to fidget with, break, or misplace than appliances that can be removed.

Space Maintainers
Book Appointment

Welcoming New patients
(312) 957-8131

Existing Patients (312) 281-4860

Removable Space Maintainers

Removable appliances look like the type of retainer that is worn at the end of orthodontic treatment. It can have a false tooth on it, which is particularly useful when the lost tooth was visible in the mouth. Older children can usually handle the responsibility of wearing this appliance and caring for it properly.

Whether fixed or removable, your child’s space maintainer will be custom-made after we take impressions of his or her mouth. A child will wear a space maintainer until x-rays reveal that the tooth underneath is ready to erupt naturally. It is very important that anyone wearing a space maintainer keep up good oral hygiene at home and come in for regular professional dental cleanings.

Space maintainers are also useful when one or more permanent teeth are congenitally missing — in other words, they have never existed at all. In cases like this, which are not uncommon, permanent dental implant teeth are often recommended for adolescents or adults to replace a tooth they weren’t born with. But timing is very important with dental implants — they can’t be placed in a growing child. Therefore, we may use a space maintainer with a false tooth on it until jaw growth is complete and an implant can be appropriately placed. It’s a simple, non-invasive way we can avoid a malocclusion (bad bite) with some timely intervention.

Melissa Connell, DDS
Megan Davenport, DDS
Anna Harvey, DMD
Nicole Oparaeke, DMD
Zesheng Chen, DMD, MS

Contact Us

1611 N. Wolcott Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
Click for Map & Directions
Welcoming New Patients
(312) 957-8131
Existing Patients
(312) 281-4860

Office Hours

Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

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Glossary of Terms
Treatment Early Dental Care
Pediatric Dentistry
Teething
Thumb Sucking
Fluoride Treatment
Pregnancy and Child’s Teeth
Nitrous Oxide
Treatment Space Maintainers
Sleep Apnea in Children
Orthodontics Starting Age 7

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Following her graduation from dental school, Dr. Karras moved to Milwaukee, WI to complete a 26-month specialty training program at Marquette University, where she earned a certificate and Master of Science in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Her research, which focused on the efficacy of the Invisalign system and its attachment types, was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), the world’s leading orthodontic journal. Dr. Karras feels fortunate to be a part of a profession where she can transform people’s smiles but also their self-confidence.

Outside of the office, Dr. Karras enjoys traveling, amateur photography, skiing, exploring Chicago’s food scene, and spending time with her “big fat Greek family.” She is fluent in English and Greek and speaks some Spanish as well.

Dr. Anna will be providing pediatric dental care at Magnolia on Friday afternoons and Saturdays and working side by side with Dr. Z, our awesome orthodontist to offer more opportunities for pediatric and orthodontic collaborative visits. Like all of us at MPDO, Dr. Anna enjoys providing a high level of comprehensive care to our patients. She can’t wait to meet you soon and help take care of your smile!

Dr. Davenport is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She was awarded the Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award for scoring in the top 3% across the nation on her written board examination. Dr. Davenport is on staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and maintains active memberships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentists, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society, and Chicago Dental Society.

When she’s not at work, Dr. Davenport stays busy chasing around her two young kids with her husband, Kevin. She enjoys baking, college football (Go Irish!), hand lettering, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. She looks forward to meeting you and your family at your next visit!

When she’s not providing excellent care to her patients and their parents, Dr. Connell loves spending time with her husband, Bob Burger, a Keller Williams real estate broker, and their three kids. As a family, they frequently embark on adventures both local and abroad, and they especially like the Pacific side of Costa Rica.