Procedures
Teeth splinting
Teeth splinting joins two or more teeth together with a small bonded strip or wire so loose or injured teeth are held still while they heal.
A splint holds teeth steady. A dentist may use one after an injury, when a tooth has been put back after being knocked out, or when gum disease has left teeth loose. The splint is often a thin wire or strip bonded to the surface of the teeth with tooth-colored material. It stays in place for a set time and then comes off. A review in the NIH library says splints immobilize teeth that suffered damage to their support so the teeth are not moving all the time. Splinting does not fix the cause by itself. See tooth reimplantation and loose tooth. Your dentist will explain how long to wear it.
Related terms
- Tooth reimplantation
- Loose tooth (tooth mobility)
- Dental trauma
- Luxated tooth
- Gum disease (periodontal disease)