How much does a bite splint cost?
Bite splints usually cost the patient nothing. A therapy with an occlusal splint is covered by the health insurance, i.e. the statutory health insurance companies pay for the individual production of a centric splint. With private health insurance companies the situation is usually the same.
With private insurance companies (PKV) the dentist charges according to the scale of fees for dentists, the GOZ, in which the prices/costs are determined. The simple rate of the costs according to the GOZ can be calculated up to 3.5 times the rate without justification. From 3.5 times the rate, a justification must be given.
For higher sums, a private agreement on the treatment and the fee must be signed by the patient. Not included in the statutory health insurance benefits are often offered special work steps or diagnostic procedures. These must be paid for privately and therefore there may be costs involved in making a Michigan splint.
In principle, the patient can insist that such individual diagnostic procedures or work steps are not required. As diagnostic procedures, for example, all procedures have in common that they aim to transfer the individual patient situation to the working models in more detail. Each patient can decide individually in a conversation with the dentist in charge of such private additional services; whether such additional services are necessary always depends on the individual patient situation.
- Face bow. Here the individual upper jaw position of the patient is registered in relation to the facial skull. This enables the dynamic tooth-to-tooth contacts to be reproduced in the model in more detail. – electrical recording of the jaw joint paths
- The use of an individual tray for taking impressions.
When do you need a new bite splint?
There is no time limit as to when the rails should be replaced. If the occlusal splint is cleaned and maintained regularly, it can last a very long time. However, if you should experience pain because the splint no longer fits the position of your teeth, possibly because of long periods of non-wearing, a new one should be made. Since the teeth are more stable and resistant than the plastic of the splint, the splint will wear out over time and become too thin or even bite through. Even then, a new bite splint should be made.
Cleaning of a bite splint
The occlusal splint, or crunching splint, is intended to protect us at night from the fact that we put too much strain on our teeth and jaw joint through crunching and possible damage to the tooth and joint. In order for the occlusal splint to fulfil this function as long as possible, it must be cleaned thoroughly to remove plaque, residues, deposits and bacteria. As the splint is preferably worn at night, it is recommended to clean it in the morning, which can be combined well with brushing your teeth in the morning.
To do this, use the bite splint, a little toothpaste, water and an extra toothbrush. Now you scrub the splint clean to remove the residues. The bristles can brush all areas of the splint thoroughly, just like on our teeth.
Then rinse them with lukewarm water. Then dry them thoroughly and keep them in a box until the evening. Often the dentist will give you such a box when making the splint.
It is important that the bite splint is not moist, either from cleaning or from saliva, and that it is left in the air during the day, otherwise the bacteria can spread easily and you risk carrying unnecessary germs into the oral cavity in the evening when the splint is inserted. In addition to this daily cleaning, it is advisable to carry out a special cleaning at least once a week with suitable and purchasable cleaning agents. These are available in drugstores, health food stores and pharmacies.
They can be in the form of a tablet which is dissolved in water, or they can be a ready-made liquid in which the bite splint is placed. It is important with these cleaners that you do not leave the splint in the liquid for too long or throughout the day. These can attack the plastic, weaken it or even cause unattractive discolouration.
Usually two hours are sufficient to achieve a good cleaning result. Even after that, the splint should be rinsed thoroughly with lukewarm water to remove all dissolved residues. Brushing again with a toothbrush and toothpaste can be useful, as the cleaning agents usually have a more unpleasant taste, which is neutralized by this.
Subsequent drying and storage in a box will complete the cleaning process. Through careful care, the bite splint fulfils its function for a long time and keeps its “fresh feeling”. Alternatively, there is also a household remedy that can be found in every kitchen, which is a cheaper way to clean the bite plate, namely vinegar.
Especially cleaning agents which clean the splint as effervescent tablets and thus via oxygen are usually said to have a negative effect on the plastic. When using vinegar, take 1/3 white household vinegar and mix it with 2/3 water. Alternatively you can also buy ready-made vinegar solutions.
Here too, it is important that the bite splint is not left in the vinegar bath for too long. 1-2 hours are recommended. After the vinegar bath the splint should be rinsed thoroughly and cleaned with a toothbrush and some toothpaste. This removes any dissolved residues still on the splint and neutralizes the acidic taste.
