Advances in the Manufacturing Process of Space Maintainers in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review from Traditional Methods to 3D-Printing  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of Oral Health and Medicine, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Department of General Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; paridokht. normal refoliation process is a crucial aspect of pediatric dentistry. Beyond their aesthetic, speech, and mastication functions, primary teeth play a vital role in guiding and facilitating the eruption of permanent teeth [4; 6]. In cases involving congenitally missing teeth or the early loss of primary teeth, the effective management of the space during primary, mixed, and early permanent dentition becomes imperative. This approach ensures the maintenance of proper masticatory and speech function, while also preventing malocclusion resulting from undesirable tooth movement [4; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11]. A dentist may recommend various types of removable or fixed space maintainers (SMs), including band and loop, crown and loop, distal end shoe, lingual arch, Nance, and transpalatal arch, which are based on factors such as the number of lost teeth, stage of dental development, age of the child, and whether unilateral or bilateral tooth loss is present in the affected dental arch [4]. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends the use of space maintainers (SMs) as an essential aspect of preventive orthodontics. This is due to their ability to maintain the position of existing dentition, which helps prevent the loss of arch length, width, and perimeter [12; 13; 14]. Therefore, SMs are recommended to maintain the space, mostly in the premature loss of a single primary molar, until the eruption of the succeeding tooth, or the insertion of an implant [4; 7; 8; 10; 11]. Within the various types of space maintainers, removable space maintainers (RSMs) offer the advantage of not only preserving the mesiodistal space but also maintaining the vertical height of the teeth, thus, restoring their aesthetic appearance. When designing RSMs, it is essential to consider a long lingual base, with or without a very short vestibular base. This design consideration is crucial because the fixation of RSMs should not solely rely on snap rings on the buccal side, and it is important to ensure that the development and growth of the dental arch remain undisturbed [15; 16]. The conventional manufacturing process of removable space maintainers (RSMs) is intricate and requires skilled technicians.