There are 2 types of Dental Splints:
- Fixed Dental Splints
- Removable Dental Splints
These are divided into types based on their property of allowing movement to the Dental Structures. These are used to immobilize the Oral structures to aid in the healing process.
Fixed Dental Splints:
Fixed Dental Splints are further divided into types:
- Sectional acrylic cap splint
- Vacuum / pressure formed splints
- Interdental Wiring
- Arch Bar
Sectional Acrylic Cap Splint:
Synonyms: stout’s or ribbon splint.
Uses:
- Immobilization of dento alveolar structures
- Mandibular fractures.
Advantages:
- Simplicity of the appliance
- Little lab equipment is required for its construction.
Sectional Acrylic Cap Splint
Procedure Of Splinting Using Sectional Acrylic Cap Splint:
- It consists of acrylic band or flange.
- Undercuts need not be eliminated.
- By embracing the crown and more especially the interdental spaces excellent retention is obtained.
- 1cm in diameter is situated on the buccal aspect of splint.
- If displacement is present then obtain a working model, correcting this my dividing the model to wire connectors are adapted.
- From half round1.25 mm diameter of stainless steel wire around the distal aspect and then splint is fabricated in wax.
- Wire ends are left long in order to obtain retention.
- An essential component of this splint is the formation of wax button approximately 1cm in diameter is situated on the buccal aspect of splint.
- The model with wax splint is then invested making sure that the wire inserts are secured in the plaster matrix.
- Following separation of two halves the flask, the wax is boiled out and the plaster surface painted with cold mould seal.
- If splint is urgently requires then cold cure acrylic is used.
- When processed, splint is removed from plaster, trimmed and polished.
- Splint is sectioned vertically retaining the button, longitudinally along any edentulous spaces.
- Allows splint to be opened out and sprung into position on the model.
- Fixation into the mouth is obtained by passing a soft stainless steel wire around the vertically divided button and through holes drilled horizontally through any edentulous areas.
- This will firmly adapt the splint into all the retaining sites to obtain adequate stability and immobilization.
Vacuum / pressure formed splints
Uses:
- Fixation of dento alveolar fractures.
Advantages:
- Method of construction is extremely simple and not time taking.
- Highly plasticised polymeric material in sheet form can be used.
Two basic techniques:
- Vacuum forming (suck down)
- Pressure forming ( blow down).
Procedure Of splinting Using Vacuum / Pressure formed Splints:
- Impression of both arches are taken and working models are prepared.
- Displaced teeth should be ligated together in order to restore the original arch form.
- Gingival margins around the teeth are trimmed.
- Large tooth undercuts should be blocked out with plaster to provide a common path.
- With both methods of adapting the splint material it is advisable to trim the edges of the base of the model to the full depth of sulcus
- The working model is placed on top plate of machine and a suitable shaped dry sheet of appropriate material is located and clapped beneath the heating section.
- Following cooling the splint is carefully eased from the model and the gingival margins are trimmed.
- The contoured splint is fitted back to the working model to check the relationship of the edges of splint o the gingival margin and occlusion with the opposing model.
Interdental Wiring:
- Thin soft stainless tell wires are used for this type of fixation.
- It is important that the ligatures are applied to several adjacent teeth on both sides of traumatized area to achieve sufficient stabilization.
Interdental wiring
- For additional stability cold cure acrylic can be placed around the interdental ligatures.
- The stabilization properties of this ligature are limited due to lack of rigidity especially when the wires become to stretch.
- So interdental wiring should be limited to fixation of a single traumatized tooth.
Arch Bars:
Arch Bars
- Metal bars fitted to the dental arch and ligated to the individual teeth are commonly used
- Most often a semi-circular soft metal bar is manually shaped to fit the dental arch
- This is used for immobilization of avulsed and partially displaced tooth
Disadvantage:
- The correct positioning of traumatized teeth is often not obtained because of difficulties in exact adaptation of the dental arch.
Removable Splints:
Occlusal splints : They are used in tempero-mandibular disorder patients. They are Divided into 2 groups
- Auto-repositioning
- Anterior – repositioning
Auto-repositioning :
It is mostly used to treat muscle problems & eliminate tmj pain .
This splint allows full arch dental contact with the condyles in more posterior retruded position .
This also allows the patient to seek a comfortable muscle & joint position without excessive influence of occlusion.
Ex: Patient with Class II malocclusion & significant overjet complain of muscular sympotms & describe a feeling that they do not have a consistent repeatable bite relationship.
Anterior –repositioning :
- Used for temporary relief in rare cases & long term cure for anterior disc displacement .
- In this case the anterior position is determined by protrusion of mandible necessary to produce proper disc & condoyle relationships .
- These are usually worn 24 hours a day for several months .
- These splints are generally effective in producing permanent reduction of disc displacement
SVED Splints:
- It is a removable appliance fabricated in acrylic .
- It is constructed such that the acrylic extends over the occlusal / incisal surface of the tooth thereby fixing & stabilizing it .
what are the advanced diagnostic aids used in pulp vitality test
i would like to know the latest classification of splints & stents in dentistry.
kindly revert back the information.
thank you
regards
Hi Varun
My daughter is 11 years old. Her lower 2 front baby teeth never fell off. Other teeth are somewhat normal. We showed it to a Dentist sometime back and he said that proper teeth under it, failed to grow.
Now her 2 milk teeth are shaky.
We are very concerned. What are the options available?
It is better to get an X-ray done to see the growth of the growing permanent teeth underneath. The milk teeth start to shake or become loose when the teeth underneath start to erupt or come out. In some children the growth or eruption of teeth is slow and this can be the case with your daughter.
Hi Dr.Varun resently I have a popping noice from my maxillar joint when I chew or eat. can splints help
The cause of the popping sound should be first examined, it can be TMD or Dislocation which need to be disagnosed first.
Hi Varun,
My daughter is 6yrs old and her permanent tooth ( upper front tooth ) got hurt and it’s shaking now. We got her done splint yesterday. But today the splint has come out . Can that be fixed again? What can be done to save the permanent tooth ? Can we try the home remedy ( rinse with Amla powder ) when splint is fixed ?
Splint is a must to help give the tooth its bone support back, as she is 6 years old the root of the Central is not developed completely so the tooth has to be steady in the socket for the root completion to be completed and bone surrounding to be developed fully. So yes, getting it splinted for a duration of time is the best option.