In vitro evaluation of flexibility of newer splints

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the flexibility of three different splints and to determine their  peak load failure in fracture pattern. Material and Methods: Three different splints (wire-composite, single layer fibre glass and fibre reinforced Everstik splint) were adapted to the extracted Human incisors, placed in a non-rigid fashion on the experimental dental models designed for the study. Stress analysis was conducted on the test specimens by applying both static axial and  45⁰ oblique force with linear increasing intensity ranging from 0-50N and 0-30N respectively both with and without splints using universal testing machine. For each loading direction, the energy required to modify the position of the teeth at increasing applied forces was recorded for specimens with and without splints and the difference between two values (∆E) was determined, which corresponds to the rigidity of the materials. Results: For both axial and oblique tests, fibre reinforced splint had shown least ∆E values (0.02±0.08 in axial, 0.01±4.05 in oblique) while wire-composite had shown highest ∆E values (0.67±2.56 in axial, 1.42±5.16 in oblique). Conclusions: Fibre reinforced splint could be an  ideal alternative for splinting traumatized teeth, as it exhibits a lower energy variation needed for deformation and conducive to optimal periodontal healing during immobilization.