The effect of acrylic bite plane splints and their vertical dimension on jaw muscle silent period in healthy young adults

A significant question relative to treatment and disappearance of symptoms is raising the bite in combination with a maxillary bite plane splint in patients with TMJ muscle dysfunction. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect, if any, occlusal bite plane splints have on the latency and duration of the mention tap silent period and particularly whether the degree to which the bite is raised is of significance. Recordings were made in healthy young adults from both anterior temporal and masseteric muscles while subjects were clenching at their 70% maximum clenching effort. Placement of a splint significantly (P less than 0.05) prolonged the silent period duration (SPD). However, mean SPD values taken at two different vertical raised bites did not differ significantly (P greater than 0.05). The anterior temporal muscle SPD was less sensitive to a smaller change of vertical dimension than the masseteric SPD. Silent period latencies remained unchanged in all experimental conditions.