Introduction
When periodontal disease destroys bone, teeth loosen and each one is overloaded. Splinting joins several teeth into one unit, so a force on one tooth is shared by all. The main aim is to protect and preserve the periodontium.
Why splinting works
- The splinted group behaves like one multi-rooted tooth with a larger total root area.
- Horizontal forces are redistributed and turned more toward the long axes.
- Mobility falls, the periodontium can calm down and, once the cause is removed, teeth may become firmer.
Increased mobility is the main clinical sign of trauma from occlusion. Mobility that is stable and not increasing doesn't by itself need a splint; progressive mobility, or mobility that disturbs chewing, does.
Types of stabilization
The more planes of movement the splint covers, the better it stabilizes. A splint along a straight segment resists forces in only one direction; a splint around the curved arch resists them in all.
Principles for designing splints
- Splint enough teeth, including firm ones, to anchor the loose teeth; join both sides across the arch where possible.
- Rigid construction; forces kept along the long axes; no interferences in movement.
- Margins and joints that allow cleaning: embrasures open, margins supragingival where possible.
- Remove the cause first: periodontal therapy and occlusal adjustment before definitive splinting.
- Splinting also helps support partial dentures: abutments joined by fixed restorations are stronger, and continuous clasps can stabilize loose teeth.