Australasian Dentist Issue 89

Category AustrAlAsiAn Dentist 111 laBs W ith the growing global cosmetic dentistry market forecast to be worth a staggering $30.1 billion by 2025 1 , there is a significant business opportunity for savvy dentists to package dental splints as part of a long-term dental protection plan for patients who have invested in cosmetic dentistry. in the pre-Covid world, bruxism was known to affect around 10% of people, with almost everyone experiencing isolated incidences of stress-related teeth grinding at some point in their life. However, since Covid-19, dentists across the country have been reporting a sharp increase in the numbers of bruxism and cracked teeth. sydney’s Avant Dental, for example, saw a 71% growth in splints in the last quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. they recorded a staggering 129% growth in splints for the first quarter of 2021 as even more dentists in Australia embrace the versatility of occlusal splints for the protection and prevention of general dentition in addition to effectively treating patients with diagnosed tMD, tMJ and bruxism. this rapid rise in the need for occlusal splints provides a very real business opportunity for dental practices to grow. The latest splint materials and technology Dental splints were historically manufactured from hard acrylic materials that were prone to warping during the curing process. this made a precise fit difficult to achieve, and poor fitting occlusal splints often caused patient discomfort. this has been largely corrected today with more advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. thermoplastic occlusal splints, for example, offer greater flexibility to drastically improve patient comfort while delivering superior contouring ability for a more precise fit. While soft dental splints tend to be manufactured solely from thermoplastic, some occlusal splint types retain a hard acrylic or resin layer. this is used to Add revenue to your practice with occlusal splints Ensure the perfect occlusal splint fit by partnering with your lab provide a more durable surface that maintains rigidity and protection against opposing dentition. Perhaps the greatest advancement in dental splints has come in manufacturing. CAD/CAM milling and 3D printing now provide more precise contouring. this achieves a much better fit, which not only improves the treatment outcome, but also boosts patient comfort and therefore patient compliance. these more sophisticated manu- facturing techniques have also drastically reduced clinical time with far less chair- side adjustments required. Understanding occlusal splint workflows Whether your patients want to protect cosmetic or restorative dentistry, save their teeth from preventable wear and tear, or treat chronic disorders such as bruxism, tMD and tMJ, Avant Dental has a wide selection of many different occlusal splint types. “At Avant, we use specialised software to analyse the splint dimensions to minimise the occlusal thickness and reduce the risk of perforation or over bulking,” says richard salter, Managing Director at Avant Dental. Once the digital splint design is approved, the dental splints are milled from a solid block of thermoplastic material or 3D printed using advanced durable biocompatible resins. “You should be able to rely on your dental lab to help ensure the perfect dental splint fit and function for each and every patient,” says ian Feigen, technical Director at Avant Dental. “they should provide expert advice on the best materials and occlusal splint types for each case.” Partnering with your dental lab will help you to better manage patient expectations and reduce clinical time while delivering the best dental experience to all. “From expert pre-planning to real- time design reviews in the virtual lab, our expert technicians will be by your side to make sure the entire splint design and manufacturing process is a success,” Feigen explains. “You’ll also have direct access to our expert technicians to make on-the-spot alterations,” adds salter “And, at Avant, we only manufacture dental splints in the best state-of-the-art facilities around the world, including in our sydney dental lab.” With a wide range of splint solutions available, salter says Avant will help you to provide highly personalised treatments that are designed to achieve the best outcomes for your patients. “Partnering with Avant will help you to better manage patient expectations and reduce clinical time while delivering the best dental experience to all,” he concludes. u Avant Dental is a full-service digital dental lab, and can assist with the entire splint design and manufacturing process. Visit www.avantdental.com.au for more. References 1 https://www.prnewswire.com/news- releases/cosmetic-dentistry-market-worth- 30-1-billion-by-2025--exclusive-report-by- marketsandmarkets-301128240.html 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5070759/