Temporomandibular joint space variation and masticatory muscle activation during clenching with full versus partial covering occlusal splints.

Clin Oral Investig

Clinic of Masticatory Disorders and Dental Biomaterials, Center for Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 11, Zurich, CH-8032, Switzerland.

Published: October 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Occlusal splints are commonly used for treating temporomandibular disorders (TMD), but their specific mechanics remain unknown; this study compares the effects of three splint designs on biomechanical responses during biting.
  • Using MRI and jaw tracking, the study assessed changes in intraarticular distance (MID) and muscle activation when clenching with different splints compared to no splint.
  • Findings revealed that the anterior bite splint significantly reduced muscle activation and MID compared to the other splint designs, suggesting that splint design can influence treatment outcomes for TMD.

Article Abstract

Objectives: Occlusal splints are the main therapeutic choice in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). However, their precise working mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to compare the biomechanical effect of three commercially available splint designs (full covering splint, anterior bite splint and posterior bite splint) during biting in a sample of healthy subjects.

Materials And Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was combined with jaw tracking to measure the minimal intraarticular distance (MID) of 20 human temporomandibular joints (TMJ) whilst simultaneously recording the electromyogram (EMG) of the masticatory muscles. The changes caused by clenching with a bite force of 100 N without splint (baseline) and on each splint were calculated. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed on the means of the MID variations and EMG amplitudes.

Results: Clenching on the anterior bite splint resulted in two times less activation of the anterior temporalis muscle than baseline (p = 0.003), full covering (p = 0.011) and posterior bite splint (p = 0.011). MID was reduced by clenching in all conditions, but the reduction was almost three times larger with the anterior bite splint compared to no splint (p = 0.011). The full covering splint and the posterior bite splint did not differ significantly in EMG activation of both masseter and temporalis muscles and MID variation.

Conclusions: This study showed that splint designs have a different impact on the MID and EMG activation while clenching. The anterior bite splint had a greater impact on the reduction of the muscle activation, whereas clenching on the anterior bite splint led to bigger reduction of MID and thus had the greatest influence on alteration in the condylar position.

Clinical Relevance: The design of the splint can affect MID and muscle activation and is a variable to consider in the treatment of patients with TMD according to their symptoms.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11467116PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00784-024-05980-0DOI Listing

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