Splint therapy - CMD splints for jaw misalignments

A splint therapy with a so-called CMD splint is one of the most effective therapies to treat CMD disorders (craniomandibular dysfunction). Do you often have trouble sleeping, tension in the jaw, headaches or neck pain, or even overly worn teeth? This is usually due to a misalignment of the jaw. This misalignment of the chewing mechanism then leads to the aforementioned symptoms and can usually be treated well with individual splint therapy. However, diagnosing CMD is not always easy. Specialists can detect the disease with the naked eye in some cases, whereas a bite test is sometimes necessary. This test shows the dentist your bite position and quickly reveals misalignments (occlusion disorder). 

Course of splint therapy

How does your splint therapy work once CMD has been diagnosed? First, a model of your jaw is made with the help of impressions to obtain a 3D model of your chewing mechanism. This in turn is used to create a CMD splint, also called a bite splint, which is individually adapted to your bite and your jaw misalignment. The splint should then always be worn at night when you sleep, which will put consistent pressure on your chewing muscles again. In severe cases, it may also be necessary to wear the splint during the day, although this tends to be the exception. If you wear the splint regularly, there should be noticeable improvement after the first few weeks. 

Costs of splint therapy and coverage by health insurance

The cost of your splint therapy can vary greatly depending on the size, design, and manufacturing costs. Since the splints have to be individually fitted by the dentist, the cost of splint therapy is never much less than this average value. 

Depending on wear and tear, a splint can last between half a year and five years. Especially splints made for patients who grind their teeth will have a relatively short lifespan due to high wear and tear. 

Statutory health insurance

In theory, your health insurance fund will cover all costs incurred in connection with splint therapy. The only thing that matters here is that your dentist or orthodontist should be able to give a credible assurance that you need a CMD splint for medical reasons. If there is a medical condition that requires splint therapy, the health insurance company will pay the full costs. One exception, however, is the number of splints you need. If it is less than one orthodontic splint per year, your health insurance will cover the costs of splint therapy. If you need more than one splint per year due to high wear and tear or similar, the health insurance company may charge you a portion of the cost.

Private health insurance

In cases of private health insurance, it is not possible to say across the board whether the costs of splint therapy will be covered. This depends on your chosen premium rate and the services it includes. Supplementary dental insurance, which usually covers the costs of splint therapy, can be useful here. In addition, the supplementary insurances often also offer a variety of other benefits, such as therapy with retainers or professional dental cleaning.

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