Splinting of traumatized teeth with focus on adhesive techniques.

Splinting of traumatized teeth is an important step in the treatment of periodontally injured teeth and a precondition of healing of the periodontal tissues. Although it has been shown in animal experiments that replanted teeth without splinting showed analogous healing outcomes compared to splinted teeth, the placement of a splint in dental trauma situations is warranted for medico-legal reasons, for the comfort of the patient, and for the avoidance of additional trauma during periodontal healing. Ideally, the splinting of traumatized teeth should be an easy and fast procedure for the dentist. Trauma splints should be comfortable and easy to keep clean for the patient. The splint should allow some physiologic mobility to promote healing of the periodontal tissues. The widely used and recommended wire-composite splint, with material variations, meets the ideal requirements of current splinting concepts in dental traumatology. Times of using destructive tissue-coverage splints are definitely gone. They are too rigid, compromise periodontal and gingival healing, and are uncomfortable to the patient. The objective of this article is to present the current concepts in splinting of traumatized teeth. The given recommendations about splinting techniques and splinting periods are based on experimental and clinical studies.