Occlusal Splints' Effect On Mobile Teeth In Severe Periodontitis

According to the EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline, periodontal splints can be used to relieve the mobility of teeth with severe periodontitis. The present study is aimed to assess the curative effect of full dentition elastic occlusal splints on mobile posterior teeth with stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ periodontitis adjunctive to periodontal initial therapy. Thirty periodontitis patients with no less than one mobile maxillary posterior tooth (degree II/III) were randomly allocated to the ES group, wearing the maxillary full dentition elastic occlusal splint, or the control (C) group. All patients received periodontal initial therapy. Periodontal indexes and subjective evaluation were assessed at baseline (T0), 2 to 4 weeks (T1) and 6 to 8 weeks (T2) after the subgingival scaling. The improvement of masticatory efficiency in the ES group was significantly higher than that in the C group from T0 to T2 (0.19±0.10 versus 0.11±0.09, P<0.05) and from T1 to T2 (0.10±0.07 versus 0.03±0.07, P<0.05). Compared with the C group, patients in the ES group obtained significantly additional reduction of tooth mobility (TM) of maxillary teeth during each treatment periods, and also more reduction of deep pocket depth (PD≥6 mm) from T0 to T2. The elastic occlusal splints adjunctive during the periodontal initial therapy can obtain additional improvement of the masticatory efficiency of periodontitis patients, as well as the reduction of TM and periodontal pocket depth of the mobile posterior teeth.