Evaluation of the effect of a stabilization splint on occlusal force in patients with masticatory muscle disorders

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of stabilization splint therapy on occlusal force in patients with masticatory muscle disorders (MD). Six female patients with myalgia or myofascial pain participated in this study. The occlusal points and load on the dental arch in maximum clenching was measured using the computerized system with Dental Prescale(R) before and after the use of the splint. There were no significant changes in the number of occlusal points, mean occlusal pressure, and asymmetry in occlusal balance between before and after the use of the splint. However, there were significant differences in the extent of the area of occlusion and in the integrated occlusal loads. The integrated occlusal load converged to the normal level with the use of the splint. From the results of this study, it is suggested that the use of the stabilization splint has the effect of normalizing the occlusal force.