Dental splints: types and time of immobilization post tooth avulsion

Avulsion is defined as the complete displacement of the tooth out of its socket with disruption of the fibers of periodontal ligament, remaining some of them adhered to the cementum and the rest to the alveolar bone. This condition is more frequent in young permanent teeth, because the root development is still incomplete. Splints are used to immobilize traumatized teeth that suffered damage in their structures of support, preventing their constant movement. The literature has shown that after replantation, it is necessary to use splints in order to immobilize the teeth during the initial period, which is essential for the repair of periodontal ligament; the use of semi-rigid splint is more indicated than the rigid one, and long periods of splinting showed that substitutive resorption or ankylosis is an expected complication. Thus, the aim of this review is to describe the different types of splints; their time of permanency, and its influence on the process of healing and reparation on the occurrence of substitutive resorption or ankylosis. It is very important to keep gathering knowledge about this content, since it has been proved that the approaches and the protocols keep changing over time.