Patients often tell me that they “tried a splint” and it didn’t help. Maybe they grind their teeth or maybe they have TMJ pain, or maybe they get a lot of headaches or muscle tension. So their dentist made them a “splint” and “it didn’t work”. Some dentists call these a “night guard”, and others “an appliance” or even use the name of the person that “invented” a new version of the same thing. So there are tons of different names out there for all types of dental appliances. What’s even more confusing is that many dentists don’t know the difference and don’t understand when to use which appliance. This video is meant as a basic guide to understanding the differences between various dental appliances.
SPLINT
The simple definition of a splint is an appliance that “splints” or attaches teeth together. In the past, dental splinting was used to attach weak teeth together because when teeth get loose, it hurts to chew on them. This procedure that splinted loose teeth together was based on the belief that attaching weak teeth together turned them into a single unit “that is stable and strong”. Typically, this was used on teeth that were weakened by gum disease where the supporting bone and periodontal tissue was lost. There is a lot written on this topic, but the reasons behind using this procedure came from the misunderstanding of how to treat the cause of teeth becoming loose to begin with.
NIGHT GUARD
A night guard is a better name for a splint. A night guard is what guards your teeth from getting worn away when you sleep if you are a tooth grinder (bruxer). Now if you grind your teeth, and a night guard is made for you, it still needs to be checked and adjusted for your mouth and bite so that the bite forces are evenly distributed across your posterior teeth. Many labs, when making a night guard, will simply duplicate the patient’s existing bite, but if that bite is actually the reason the patient is grinding, then you are simply reproducing the problem. Designing the night guard to help reduce or resolve the patient’s symptoms is the key to any dental appliance.
Video Description
00:00 - Introduction
00:27- Splints
01:06- Nightguard
02:20- Deprogrammer
03:20- Orthotic
05:42- Advice
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