A dental splint is a device used by orthodontists that is similar to a brace or a retainer. Its main purpose is to join the teeth together to intensify their strength. Dental splinting is usually advised for patients with loose teeth due to gum problems. The loose teeth/tooth will be joined to the surrounding teeth that are more stable to keep them from moving or getting knocked off by any reason. The use of a dental splint is necessary for people to maintain their beautiful smile as well as the shape of their face. When a tooth is splinted, it becomes more intact making it more comfortable for you to chew your food.
Aside from loose teeth, a dental splint can also be used to treat jaw muscle fatigue or what is technically called TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) which leads to pain when chewing. This disorder can be the cause of your pain when you talk or smile or whatever you do that requires your mouth or face to stretch. A dental splint can be helpful in this situation. It can be used to prevent abnormal movements of the jaw due to fatigue like teeth grinding.
Just like other devices used for the care of the mouth or oral health (braces, dentures, and retainers), a dental splint needs to be properly taken care of to prevent other serious problems from occurring. Some problems that may be encountered are bad breath, deformation of teeth or even the face, and stress on the teeth that makes your total oral health more uncomfortable and harder to deal with. Make sure to visit your dentist for any abnormalities in your splint. Visit http://parkridgedentist.net/ for your dental care in Park Ridge area.
Here are the best ways to clean your dental splints:
Brush Your Splint After Every Meal
Use the brush given by your dentist. This is made specifically for splints. Brush gently. Be sure to brush your splint after every meal since your tongue and your gums that are covered by the splint are exposed to food particles. Not brushing the splint may cause odor and irritation because of food stuck on the splint. If you do not have a splint toothbrush, use a toothbrush with soft bristles.
Soak
Soak the splint in a mixture of half vinegar and the other half of cool tap water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also use two tablespoons of baking soda with cool tap water to soak your splint for at least 15 minutes. This helps in removing odor and stains off your splint. When soaking, make sure you keep it far from your pets. Dogs and cats may want to chew on them. If this happens, you will have to do extra disinfecting on the splints.
Disinfect
To disinfect your splint, you simply pour a small amount of antibacterial soap in a bowl then brush your splint with the solution. Rinse using running cool water afterwards. You may also soak the splint in alcohol and warm water for 15 minutes and rinse it with running cool water afterwards. A splint can become corroded and infected with bacteria over time. So it is not also advisable to disinfect your splint with alcohol every day as it can potentially damage and break down the splint or make the splint weaker resulting to you having to buy or request for another splint from your dentist.
High Dental Decay Remedy
For high decay issues, fluoride can be very useful in rinsing. Fluoride containing rinses or gels is useful when placed in your splint at least once per day. But before applying this, ask your dentist about it to avoid unnecessary troubles. Your dentist may see it not necessary to do so at times.
Aside from loose teeth, a dental splint can also be used to treat jaw muscle fatigue or what is technically called TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) which leads to pain when chewing. This disorder can be the cause of your pain when you talk or smile or whatever you do that requires your mouth or face to stretch. A dental splint can be helpful in this situation. It can be used to prevent abnormal movements of the jaw due to fatigue like teeth grinding.
Just like other devices used for the care of the mouth or oral health (braces, dentures, and retainers), a dental splint needs to be properly taken care of to prevent other serious problems from occurring. Some problems that may be encountered are bad breath, deformation of teeth or even the face, and stress on the teeth that makes your total oral health more uncomfortable and harder to deal with. Make sure to visit your dentist for any abnormalities in your splint. Visit http://parkridgedentist.net/ for your dental care in Park Ridge area.
Here are the best ways to clean your dental splints:
Brush Your Splint After Every Meal
Use the brush given by your dentist. This is made specifically for splints. Brush gently. Be sure to brush your splint after every meal since your tongue and your gums that are covered by the splint are exposed to food particles. Not brushing the splint may cause odor and irritation because of food stuck on the splint. If you do not have a splint toothbrush, use a toothbrush with soft bristles.
Soak
Soak the splint in a mixture of half vinegar and the other half of cool tap water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also use two tablespoons of baking soda with cool tap water to soak your splint for at least 15 minutes. This helps in removing odor and stains off your splint. When soaking, make sure you keep it far from your pets. Dogs and cats may want to chew on them. If this happens, you will have to do extra disinfecting on the splints.
Disinfect
To disinfect your splint, you simply pour a small amount of antibacterial soap in a bowl then brush your splint with the solution. Rinse using running cool water afterwards. You may also soak the splint in alcohol and warm water for 15 minutes and rinse it with running cool water afterwards. A splint can become corroded and infected with bacteria over time. So it is not also advisable to disinfect your splint with alcohol every day as it can potentially damage and break down the splint or make the splint weaker resulting to you having to buy or request for another splint from your dentist.
High Dental Decay Remedy
For high decay issues, fluoride can be very useful in rinsing. Fluoride containing rinses or gels is useful when placed in your splint at least once per day. But before applying this, ask your dentist about it to avoid unnecessary troubles. Your dentist may see it not necessary to do so at times.
RSS Feed