Patients with periodontal disease will be glad to know that we have a number of treatments available for them at Bridge Smiles Dental Group. Sometimes, teeth have become too loose to be saved through bonding, but the patient does not wish to undergo extractions or cannot do so safely. These are the kinds of cases in which we consider periodontal splinting.
Also called binding, a splint is a permanent structure in the mouth which is used to distribute the force of a bite across the whole arch of teeth. This takes pressure off of the weakest ones. Splinting is one of the oldest periodontal treatments, going back to the medieval Italy, if not ancient Egypt, but modern developments make splints unobtrusive and comfortable.
The splint is a highly porous strip of fabric which is covered in resin. The backs of the incisors are then sketched with acid so that they’ll have more surface area with which to grip the splint. This is the same process that is used when brackets are placed on teeth during orthodontic treatment, and while it makes teeth sensitive for a little while, it is safe, and the gums are protected with gel. Because the porous strip has absorbed most of the resin, it only takes a bit of dental cement to keep it in place. This minimizes the size of the new ridge on the back of the patient’s teeth. Splints don’t prevent or undo the gum damage which resulted in weak teeth, but they do provide an alternate means of keeping teeth secure.
Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge ST. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit BridgeSmilesDental.com.
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