• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.256-261
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• 2013

PURPOSE. Occlusal splints are commonly used to prevent tooth wear caused by bruxism. However, the effects of splints on occlusion are still unclear. Although it is rarely alluded in literature, splints can provoke severe occlusal alterations and other complications. This study was aimed to identify differences in the responses of individuals with bruxism and healthy individuals to a full-arch maxillary stabilization splint in terms of occlusal changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Occlusal contacts in 20 (5 male, 15 female) bruxism patients and 20 (5 male, 15 female) controls with normal occlusion were evaluated before and after occlusal splint therapy. T-Scan III, a computerized occlusal analysis system, was used to simultaneously measure occlusion and disclusion times as well as left-right and anterior-posterior contact distributions before splint therapy and 3 months after therapy. Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for statistical analyses (${\alpha}$=.05). RESULTS. No differences were found in the posterior contact of bruxism patients before and after stabilization splint treatment. However, differences in posterior contact were observed between bruxists and normal individuals prior to treatment, and this difference disappeared following treatment. CONCLUSION. The results of this study showed the use of a stabilization splint may not have an effect on occlusion. However, the area of posterior occlusal contact among bruxists was found to be greater than that of normal individuals. According to this study, the clinical use of splints may be harmless.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.141-150
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• 1986

This study conducted 2 types of occlusal splint therapy to eliminate clicking sound. 15 patients who had clicking on their joints were selected, and divided, at random, into 3 groups. In the first group, 4 persons put on stabilization splint and in the second group, 6 persons put on anterior repositioning splint which had made condyle to protrude 3mm, and in the last group, 5 persons put on anterior repositioning splint which had made condyle to protrude 6mm. Patients who wore anterior repositioning splint were instructed to use the splint for all days. The evaluation of clicking was measured by occlusal soundscope. The clicking was converted to aucostic signal by the attached microphone, instead of vibrating sensor The in-put aucostic signal on the occlusal soundscope made it possible to observe the experiment's result. Anterior repositioning splint was produced in the centric occlusion state, when the model was mounted to articulator and inserted two pieces of 3mm and 6mm resin blocks each into the rear wall of articulator fossa. The observation of the patients who wore three different splints for 3 weeks has reached the following conclusions: 1. Stabilization splint produced no effect in eliminating the clicking sound. 2. Anterior repositioning splint therapy with 3mm condylar protrusion produced significant improvement in eliminating the clicking sound. 3. The 6mm protruded anterior repositioning splint caused pain on affected TMJ area as well as the clicking on unaffected joint.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.731-752
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• 1995

This study was performed to research the changes of masticatory system subsequent to randomly increasing the vertical dimension. The subjects were twenty seven persons, twenty two men and five women, with a mean age of 24.3(age ranged from 22 to 26). The subjects had a complete or almost complete set of natural teeth and reported no subjected symptoms of pain or dysfunction in the masticatory system. The occlusal splint increased vertical dimension was made on semiadjustable articulator. The subjects were randomly divided to three groups according to the vertical dimension, at which the occlusal splint was made. Group I occlusal splints were made at 2mm form the occlusal vertical dimension, group II occlusal splints at 5mm, group III occlusal splints at 8mm. The occlusal splints were almost weared for 2 weeks except meal-time. Clinical examination, muscle activity, changes of free-way space, movement of mandible and articular condyle were recorded and analyzed by means of biopak system(Bioresearch Inc, Millwakee Wisconsin.) and radiograph. 1. In clinical examination, various symptoms were reported by all subjects immediately after the placement of occlusal splint. At the end of experiment, symptoms were lasted by 1 subject in Group I, 2 subjects in Group II, 6 subjects in Group III. At the other subjects, the most of symptoms were disappered within 2-4 days after the placement of occlusal splints. 2. The average free-way space before the startof experiment was 1.77mm in all twenty seven subjects. Immediately after the placement of occlusal splints, 0.67mm at Group I, 0.49mm at Group II, 0.41mm at Group III, At 2 weeks after the placement of occlusal splint 0.93mm, 0.79mm, 0.78mm each other, 1.94mm, 1.77mm, 2.3 mm at immediately after the removal of occlual splint. At 1 week after the removal of occlusal splint, free-way space was recovered to the pre-experimental state 3. In cephalometric radiograph, following either the placement or the removal of the occlusal splints, the movements of mandible in an antero-posterior direction were not statistically significant(p>0.05). 4. In transcranial radiograghs of TMJ, 1 week after the placement of occlusal splint the movement of most superior position on condyle in all group shoed antero-inferior position than before the experiment(p<0.001) and also showed antero-inferior position in mandibular postural rest position than in certric occlusion(p<0.001). Following either the placement or the removal of the splints, the amount of movement of most superior position on condyle was group III. group II and group I in order(p<0.001). 5. In anterior temporal and superficial masseter muscle, muscle activity at postural rest position decreased at 2 weeks after the placement of occlusal splint in group I and group II (p>0.05), but significantly increased in group III(p<0.001). At 1 week after the removal of the occdusal splint, muscle activity at postural rest position was recovered preconditional state 6. In anterior temporal and superficail masseter muscle, muscle activity at clenching in all group was significantly decreased after placement of the occlusal splint, slightly increased during experimental period and recovered to the original state at 1 week after removal of the occlusal splint. But was not statistically significat(p>0.05)s.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.21 no.1 s.164
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• pp.55-72
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• 1983

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between possible occlusal change after stabilization splint therapy and the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) Axis I diagnoses and lateral cephalometric variables. Methods: Clinical and radiographic records of 47 TMD patients wearing stablization splint were reviewed. The number of occluding teeth was recorded and lateral cephalogram was taken at pre-treatment and 6-month post-treatment. They were divided into two groups. The control group consists of patients with the unchanged number of occluding teeth throughout 6-month splint therapy (19 females and 4 males), and occlusal-loss group with the number of occluding teeth decreased (19 females and 5 males). The difference of RDC/TMD diagnoses and cephalometric variables were compared between two groups. Results: In the control group, RDC group I, muscle disorders, was 39.1% (9/23), group II, disc displacements, was 17.4% (4/23), group III OA, osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis, was 73.9% (17/23), and group III pain, arthralgia, was 82.6% (19/23). In the occlusal-loss group, group I was 41.7% (10/24), group II was 41.7% (10/24), group III OA was 70.8% (17/24), and group III pain was 83.3% (20/24). The frequency of RDC groups was not different between two groups, analyzed by binomial logistic regression. Pre-treatment cephalometric variables were not different between two groups. However, articular angle, AB to mandibular plane and ODI decreased and gonial angle increased significantly in the occlusal-loss group, implying clockwise rotation of the mandible, between pre-treatment and 6-month post-treatment, while none of cephalometric variables showed any statistical difference in the control group. Conclusions: Change in the number of occluding teeth was not related to the RDC/TMD diagnoses. Cephalometric values changed only in the occlusal-loss group as a result of mandibular clockwise rotation. None of cephalometric variables before the stabilization splint therapy was statistically different between the control and occlusal loss group.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-65
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• 1996

This study was performed to investigate the effects of head posture and occlusal splint on the vertical dimension in mandibular rest position and swallowing. Thirty health dental students ware selected lot this study and BioEGNⓡ(Bioresearch Inc., USA) was used for measuring interocclusal distance during rest - swallowing - rest - tapping movement. This swallowing movements were observed in both normal head posture(NHP) and forward head posture (FHP). Thickness of occlusal splint was about 2mm at posterior molar area and even tooth contact were achieved on light biting. The four mandibular positions at which interocclusal distance measured were swallowing position, after swallowing position in which interocclusal distance was maximum, rest position follows swallowing, and tapping position after rest. Changes of distance in each position were measured for three mandibular planes, that is, sagittal, frontal, and horizontal plane, respectively. The results obtained were as follows : 1. In normal head posture, the mandible was raised 1.03mm without splint, and 0.77mm with splint on swallowing, and there was no significant difference between the two. In horizontal plane, however, mandible was displaced more anteriorly in both swallowing position and tapping position with splint. 2. In forward head posture, the mandible was less raised with splint on swallowing, but features in horizontal plane were almost same as those in normal head posture. 3. In natural dentition, significant difference between NHP and FHP were observed in horizontal plane trajectory for swallowing and tapping position. But the difference for same positions were observed in frontal trajectory with splint. 4. Total amount of mandibular movement of two groups classified with sagittal interocclusal distance of swallowing position generally showed significant difference between the higher and the lower height group in head posture without splint. 5. Correlationship among total amount of mandibular movement for three mandibular planes were observed between sagittal plane and horizontal plane, and between sagittal plane and frontal plane in head posture without splint.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 1990

This study was performed to investigate the influence of occlusal change on the masticatory muscle activity. 8 students without any symptom of T.M.J. dysfunction, any history of prosthodontic or orthodontic treatment on dental college of WonKwang Univ. were participated in this study. The activity of masseter and anterior temporal muscles were measured by bioelectric processor(EM2, Myotronics, Inc., U.S.A.) during voluntary maximal clenching on natural teeth, by splint with bilateral posterior surface contact, by splint with unilateral posterior surface contact, and by splint without unilateral posterior teeth contact. The obtained results were as follows ; 1. The loss of posterior contact on noe side resulted in change of the activity of anterior temporal and masseter muscle during clenching on ipsilateral side, but there was no change of muscle activity on contralateral side. 2. The activity of anterior temporal and masseter muscle during clenching were not affected by the pattern of occlusal contact. 3. There were no difference between the activity of anterior temporal and masseter miuscle during clenching by natural teeth and by occlusal splint.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 2000

In general, treatment of the patients with closed lock divides into a conservative and a surgical treatment. Surgical treatment has been often applied in case that occlusal splint therapy was not effective on the patient with closed lock. In recent, some clinicians reported good results with mandibular manipulation. Three patients complained limitation of month opening-(mean mouth opening was 22.3mm) and TMJ pain. Articular discs were displaced anteriorly on MRI. Two patients didn't improve the symptoms with long term occlusal splint therapy. We applied mandibular manipulation after injection with 2% lidocaine into the upper joint space of the affected TMJ and directly inserted occlusal splint to all patients. At the follow-up check, mean mouth opening was 41.7mm. TMJ pain decreased, condyle and disc relationship was improved functionally on MRI.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2003

Suppose that dental occlusion is related to body posture. We want to find out that improving occlusal balance may affect vibration and distribution of C.O.P. in which way, by measuring change of posture and center of gravity (center of pressure, C.O.P.) which plays important role in measuring balance sensation. Total 11 students at Kyung Hee dental college students, 4 females and 9 males (age: 23-30) participated in this test, who have normal occlusion (Angle's classification I), no TMJ problems. All of the participants have no tooth loss except 3rd molar, no prosthesis over single tooth restoration, no orthopedic problems which affect balance sensation, and no otorhinolaryngological problems. First, we registrated bite by centric relation, and then fabricated stabilization splint that is increased 3.5mm vertical dimension around premolar region. By F-scan (Tekscan Inc., Boston, Mass), we measured discrepancy of average contact pressure of left and right foot. And we also measured discrepancy of vibration of C.O.P(center of pressure). before setting stabilization splint and after wearing stabilization splint at intervals of 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks after. In normal human beings, improved occlusal balance by stabilization splint leads to decrease of vibration of C.O.P. (P<0.05). One week after wearing stabilization splint, vibration of C.O.P. decreased reliably (P<0.05), two weeks after wearing stabilization splint, vibration of C.O.P. decreased similarly comparing to before wearing and one week after wearing. (P<0.05) After two weeks and three weeks, however, it was hard to find reliability. (P>0.05) Difference between average contact pressure of right and left foot also decreased. (P<0.05) We could find decrease after one week of wearing stabilization splint (P<0.05) and two weeks after, the decrease was more reliable than one week after. (P<0.05) After two weeks and three weeks, however, it was hard to find reliability. Improvement of occlusal balance leads to decrease of vibration of C.O.P. and decrease of difference between right and left average contact pressure.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 1988

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of occlusal stabilization splint on the clinical symptoms and the condylar movement in patients with Temporomandibular Disorders(TMD). For the study, 15 TMD patients treated with stabilization splint and followed up were selected. The age of them was from 18 to 65 years and the mean period of treatment was 2.9 months. The author examined signs and symptoms of TMD according to Dr. Friction's evaluation from and recorded the condylar paths with Denar pantronic before and after splint therapy. The obtained results were as follows : 1. On the first visit, 11 patients(73.3%) showed muscle tenderness on palpation and the frequency was lateral pterygoid, masseter, medial pterygoid, temporalis, sternocleidomastoideus in the order named. 2. Occlusal stabilization splint was more effective in pain relief(100%) than in other dysfunction improvement(85.7%) 3. The amount of maximum opening increased from 37.1㎜ to 42.2㎜, but those of protrusion and laterotrusion changed little. 4. Pan. PRI scores decreased from 32.9 to 21.8, which meant improved reproducibility of mandibular border movements, and the group with sever dysfunction category showed more decrease in score than the group with moderate or slight dysfunction category.