Splinting

A mobile tooth generally results from loss of anchorage to the gum and increased strain on the teeth

Loose teeth are uncomfortable, especially when you try to eat food or chew gum. Splinting teeth to each other allows weakened or loose teeth to gain support from neighbouring ones. When used to connect periodontally compromised teeth, splinting can increase patient comfort during chewing.
At FMS, our periodontist are well versed and highly-experienced at Dental Splinting. Mobile teeth can be supported by splints for the period of time needed to give the natural tissues an opportunity to heal and regain their strength.

What is splinting?

Splinting is a procedure where a group of teeth is bound together so the load of biting, chewing, etc. can be evenly distributed, till the affected teeth can strengthen at the base and support themselves.

With reduced mobility, the stabilized tooth gets a chance to recover, so you get much-needed relief from pain and discomfort. However, this will not treat any gum disease (which would’ve caused the teeth to become loose in the first place). Maintaining a high level of oral hygiene is advised.

What Causes Mobile Tooth?

A mobile tooth generally results from loss of anchorage to the gum and increased strain on the teeth. Some of the other factors that can cause this condition include:

Receding Dental Alveolar Bone (periodontal disease) – A gum disease that can cause the teeth to lose support and become loose
Inflammation of Tissues Around a Tooth – Severe tooth decay or gum disease causes an abscess, which destabilizes teeth
Bruxism or Abnormal Clenching of Teeth – This condition can aggravate the supporting structure around the tooth
Traumatic Injury to Teeth – An injury can damage the supporting tissues and cause the tooth to shift
Osteoporosis

Malocclusion

Symptoms of Loose Teeth

Redness of tissues around the tooth
Pain or discomfort
Difficulty chewing food
Sore or sensitive gums

Moderate to advanced tooth mobility that cannot be reduced by other means and when there is interference with normal function and patient comfort.
In cases where nonsurgical and surgical periodontal procedures are difficult in the absence of tooth stabilization.
Splinting is used to eliminate movements in the healing area after periodontal surgery since micromovement of the surgical site may inhibit repair to take place in the healing area
Prevention of teeth drifting after orthodontic treatment .
Prevention of mobility after acute trauma as in subluxation and avulsion.

Disadvantages of splinting

It compromises plaque control by making oral hygiene access difficult therefore enhanced measures for oral hygiene after splinting is essential for the improved longevity, your periodontist at FMS will guide you by instructing you methods to maintain a good oral hygiene.

When is splinting indicated?

How is the treatment carried out?

Fiber splint is a bundle of pre-impregnated unidirectional glass fibres allowing us to reliably splint teeth. This offers a long lasting, minimally invasive and a comfortable solution for periodontally compromised patients.

The aesthetic glass fibre is hidden behind the teeth and is bonded to teeth using aesthetic resin (after a shade match). This fibre splint is not visible therefore providing excellent aesthetics. This is a very technique sensitive procedure which can allow us to carefully reposition mobile teeth (close any spaces that may have recently opened up) and splint them together. By splinting the teeth, the adjacent teeth are used for anchorage creating one solid unit and reducing/eliminated any mobility. Furthermore, an added bonus is if the tooth does require extraction in the future, the root can be sectioned off (amputated) leaving the patients natural crown in the splint (aesthetically the most natural bridge as the patient’s own tooth is used).

Once the splinting is done, it’ll need a bit of preventive maintenance, which our periodontist at FMS will guide you through.

The most important is additional care while you brush, for which our dentists recommend using a proxy brush that cleans between the teeth like floss, so it doesn’t penetrate or dislodge the splint. A follow-up dental visit will be required every three to six months, just till your mobile tooth is completely immobile again!

What are the after procedure care

What are the types of dental splints ?

Depending on the intended goal of therapy, splints may be classified as temporary and permanent.

Temporary splints may be worn for less than 6 months. These splints typically are fabricated using thin stainless steel wires, and tooth colored composite resin restorative materials. The splint can also be reinforced in several ways using one of the following materials: ligature wire, glass fiber, or a polyethylene fiber reinforced polymer( Ribbond Fiber). When anterior teeth require splinting, tooth colored restorative resin reinforced with polyethylene fiber is the material of choice.

Permanent splints maintain long term stability of the dentition. Permanent splints are placed only after stability has been achieved in order to increase functional stability, and improve esthetics on a long-term basis. Such treatment includes conventional fixed prostheses (Dental Bridges) because they provide definitive rigidity and are better able to control and direct occlusal forces.

The rationale for splinting which are mainly for protection of tissue, restoration of physiologic occlusion, distribution of force, ensuring functional comfort during mastication are listed below

To improve your bite and make chewing more comfortable
Giving teeth a longer and healthier life
To control forces and stress
To enhance stabilization in postacute trauma
To prevent drifting in normal dentition during occlusal therapy
To provide functional comfort by preventing mobility in disease dentition.

Even if your teeth are clean, spotless and look to be in good shape, there could still be some underlying problems. If your teeth seem loose or you have problems chewing, it’s possible that the ligaments anchoring the teeth are loose or inflamed. This can cause an affected tooth to work its way loose and start shifting, which is called a ‘mobile tooth’.

What are the rationale for splinting

When is splinting contraindications ?

When the treatment of periodontal disease has not been addressed
When occlusal adjustments to reduce trauma has not been previously addressed
When the sole objective of splinting is to reduce tooth mobility whose etiology could be ascertained

SPLINTING

What is splinting?

What Causes Mobile Tooth?

Symptoms of Loose Teeth

Disadvantages of splinting

When is splinting indicated?

How is the treatment carried out?

What are the after procedure care

What are the types of dental splints ?

What are the rationale for splinting

When is splinting contraindications ?

ANY QUERIES TALK TO THE PERIODONTIST

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