Short-term effect of a stabilization splint on the asymmetry of submaximal masticatory muscle activity

Ten healthy subjects continuously wore equilibrated maxillary full-arch stabilization splints in the retruded position for 7 days. The muscular activity balance of the masseter muscles during submaximal isometric clenching at 10% and 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) did not change immediately on insertion of the splint, but was improved at the 50% level after 7 days (P less than 0.05). While the muscular balance of the anterior temporal muscles was not affected, either immediately on splint insertion, or after wearing it for 7 days, temporal muscle activity at 10% of the MVC was greater on the side to which the mandible moved from the retruded contact position (RCP) to the inter-cuspal position (ICP), both before (P less than 0.025) and after (P less than 0.01) wearing the splint. Splint removal after 7 days resulted in increased awareness of interferences in the ICP and increases in masseter muscle asymmetry (10%, P less than 0.025; 50%, P less than 0.05) when the electromyograms in the ICP after splint removal were compared with those on the stabilization splint before removal. After wearing the splint, the masseter muscle activity at the 10% level was greater on the side where premature contacts were present in the RCP (P less than 0.01). The use of masticatory muscle asymmetry indices in the evaluation of splint treatment for craniomandibular dysfunction is indicated since submaximal masticatory muscle activity is related to occlusal stability, premature contacts in the RCP and the direction of lateral slides from the RCP to the ICP.