My two cents on dental splints

I spent a decade with dental splints that dentists made me plus lots that I made on my own. Here is what I concluded.

Want to watch the Youtube version of this article? Check it out here.

Now onto the article…

The tool that is probably the most common among TMJ dentists is the ‘dental splint’.

Generally this refers to an acrylic resin appliance like the one above that is made in a laboratory and is used to treat various TMJ-associated conditions.

The cost can range from as little as $50 in developing countries to $5000+ in places like the US. Dentists that charge this are no better than thieves in my book by the way. LOL

I’ve had numerous dental splints made for me by dentists in the past and spent almost a decade making my own.

And today i’m going to give you my two cents on what I learned.

What are the different types of dental splints out there? (The dentist point of view)

Let me break it down first the way a dentist would probably explain it:

1. Orthodontic retainers

Orthodontic retainers are a type of dental splint that is used to maintain the position of teeth after orthodontic treatment. These dental splints can be fixed or removable and are commonly made from a clear plastic or acrylic material.

2. Space maintainers

Space maintainers are a type of dental splint that is used to keep teeth in their correct position after a primary tooth, like a central incisor (front tooth), is lost prematurely. These splints can be fixed or removable and are made from metal or acrylic.

3. Occlusal splints

Occlusal splints are a type of dental splint that is used to treat bruxism, a condition in which a person grinds or clenches their teeth, and over time can lead to tooth damage, jaw pain, and headaches. These splints are worn at night and help to protect the teeth from damage.

Dentist’s classification on types of splints

4. Sports guards

Sports mouthguards are a type of dental splint that is used to protect teeth from injury during sports or physical activity. These splints are made from a flexible plastic material and can be custom-fitted to an athlete’s teeth.

5. TMJ Splints

Anterior bite plane splints or stabilisation splints can be used to reduce TMJ symptoms. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are conditions that affect the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement.

What are the different types of dental splints from MY point of view?

So in my view you can completely erase the section above from your mind because it is a bunch of bullshit.

The dentists that make and apply these splints do not understand the soft tissue that I talk about and thus in my view everything they say is just a bunch of horse shit.

I break down splints into just these three characteristics:

1st characteristic: Hard vs. Soft

By this I mean the material of the splint. Hard splints are generally made from hard acrylic. Whereas soft splints are made from a variety of other softer materials.

I have worn both but I think hard is a better way to go.

2nd characteristic: Upper vs. Lower

By this I mean whether the splint goes on your upper or lower teeth.

I’ve against done both but find it much easier to wear a lower splint.

Indexed upper splint example

3rd characteristic: Indexed vs. Flat Plane

Indexed means that it is fixing a specific jaw position with grooves on the surface of the splint. For example a lower splint might have grooves on it that the upper teeth fit into when closing, which thereby locks a specific jaw position.

I used both indexed and flat plane splints for years but consider indexed splints to be outright wrong because of their effect on the soft tissue. And so I only recommend using flat plane.

The only things you need to remember about splints

So this is from my ~10 years experience with dental splints…. and will differ from the vast majority of dentists out there.

So you can believe me or you can believe them… but i recommend you believe me because i’m rockin’ it at 47 and most of their patients are fucked. hahahaha

Rule #1: Only use flat plane splints

Do NOT use indexed splints. I also recommend you use a hard, lower splint as the base.

If you want you can add height either with acrylic resin or with polymorph (a thermoplastic).

Rule #2: A rubber guard like a Reviv One will be faster than a flat plane splint

The goal is to stretch soft tissue. And these rubber appliances are simply more efficient at it.

How do i know? Because i’ve tested both for years and also seen the experience of numerous others (in my test group etc).

Wearing a rubber guard is often very difficult for most TMJ patients at first because it is stretching their soft tissue a lot. Whereas a flat plane splint usually is a pretty easy thing to wear as the stretch is not as aggressive.

Rule #3: I do NOT think you need a dentist to adjust your splints

So dentists love to get you to pay them lots of money to come back to them and ‘adjust’ your splints.

I find this to be a completely useless exercise.

Because it will work just fine if you put a single contact on the last tooth on either side and just leave it like that. ie. do not bother adjusting at all pretty much.

And if you need to adjust it you can do it yourself very easily. Purchase a dental drill and articulating paper off of Amazon and voila! For just $100 you have all that you need.

I have the ‘Marathon’ one on the right side of the picture above for over ten years now! Love the sucker!

And if you do it yourself you will learn much more!

Rule #4: A tracking splint is a useful thing

The other thing that I use is what I call a ‘tracking’ splint. What you are tracking is the curve of spee, which i talked about in this post below.

The Curve of Spee

Basically you drill the contacts even on the back 4 teeth with the help of occlusal paper.

And the point is to be able to see as your curve of spee improves over time.

That is it! That is all you need to know about dental splints in my view!

And yes… of course dentists will tell you that I am wrong.

But fuck them! I will be kicking their asses from a physical health, neurological health, functional (=cognitive, energy) and aesthetic perspective these coming decades and laughing at their sorry asses!

Boom! :)