[Splinting--a review of the literature]

Early evidence for the use of splints can be seen in ancient civilizations, but the concept of Splinting teeth to support and immobilize teeth, by joining several teeth together continues to be a topic of controversy. Splints can be classified based on their purpose and duration of use, the way of fabrication, and the location of the splinted teeth in the jaw. The biomechanical mechanism of splint is related to the mechanism of tooth mobility. The indications for splint usage in the healthy and diseased periodontium are variable, among them are: prevention of mobility after acute trauma, for occlusal therapy, to allow function, to allow periodontal repair, in case of occlusal trauma, to prevent teeth drifting after orthodontic treatment or when a tooth is missing. Due to the many disadvantages splints have, splinting should be used cautiously, specially in splinting teeth and implants.