Application of Occlusal Splint for Conservative Management of Pediatric Mandibular Body Fractures

An 8-year-old Japanese boy presented with deranged malocclusion, occlusal contact on the left side only, and displaced vertical fractures with minimal step deformity in the distal region of the left mandibular canine and right mandibular first molar region.As he had mixed dentition, a conservative treatment plan was adopted.We fabricated a maxillary splint comprising autopolymerizing acrylic resin and pivot splints to raise the position of the occlusion on the left side.Three weeks after treatment, panoramic radiography showed that the vertically displaced mandibular segment was repositioned.Two years after treatment, the left mandibular canine had erupted and root development of the right first molar region, where the displaced vertical fractures had existed, was normal.Conservative treatment using occlusal splints is an effective alternative to surgery for multiple mandibular fractures with malocclusion without large buccal-lingual displacement.