Splinting is majorly used for treating loose teeth. When a single tooth becomes loose, Splinting is done to join together a group of teeth like a picket fence. It helps to distribute the biting force among a group of teeth instead of a single weak tooth.
In simpler terms, splinting means joining together a group of teeth for support. It’s like stabilizing teeth to increase their functional capabilities.
When a single tooth or teeth start moving in the mouth and becomes painful, either at rest or while chewing. Splinting can be the solution. It helps teeth share the forces among each other and does not burden a single tooth.
The tooth or teeth can become loose due to various reasons. The most common reasons include
- Trauma to the tooth
- Getting injury to the mouth
- Using more force while biting down food
- Keeping teeth in contact even when not chewing or swallowing
- Habits like grinding teeth
- Infection in the gums
- Loss of bone around teeth
Temporary splinting:
it is done for a few days or a few weeks under the following situations
- Expelled tooth: When a tooth gets expelled from the mouth due to trauma, it can be replaced back into its socket and splinted with adjacent teeth for immobilization.
Immobilization helps the lost tooth to form a bond with the adjacent bone and gums so that it can be restored in the mouth and regain its function again.
- Trauma: A blunt force to the tooth can loosen it. Though it may not be completely expelled, this tooth may lose its function because of the trauma transferred to its attachment apparatus i.e ligament and bone. Splinting helps the tooth stabilize itself in the mouth.
- Orthodontic splinting: Braces help teeth to arrange them in an aesthetic manner. Orthodontic braces are used as splints to change the tooth’s position in the mouth to make them positionally sound for receiving even forces among teeth.
- Occlusal splints: A person having habits like grinding of the teeth during stress or night times can benefit from this type of splint. It is a temporary splinting of teeth using a mouth guard to protect teeth from the harmful effects of excessive grinding or over-functioning. It is used for a few hours during peak times of the habit.
Permanent splinting:
Bone loss around teeth and infection of the periodontal ligament can make tooth permanently lose. Though permanent problems need permanent solutions, in the situation where removal cannot be executed due to medical, financial or unknown reasons, sometimes the teeth may be either fitted with crowns that are fused together after controlling the infection as splints; a wire or tape can also be used after a purposeful designing for this transient period.
Loose teeth cannot help in the chewing of food and become painful as the movement increases. Permanent splinting helps in protecting bone from further loss and keeps teeth in the mouth and the need for extraction is postponed for sometime.
As soon as you start noticing the movement of a tooth or a group of teeth, or receive trauma to teeth due to hard biting or external injuries, visit our dentists at Top Notch Dental Clinic, for prompt and accurate treatment measures to save your tooth.