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Digital Versus Conventional Splints in Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review and
Fahad W Almansour1, Khaled Alshammari1, Dhari Mohammed Alhajri1
1Department of Dentistry, Kuwait Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, KWT.
Cureus
|April 2, 2026
Summary
Digital and conventional occlusal splints offer similar pain relief and satisfaction for temporomandibular disorders (TMD). However, digital splints significantly reduce chairside adjustment time, offering a practical advantage in TMD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Dental Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Clinical Dentistry
Background:
- Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are commonly treated with occlusal splints.
- Digital dentistry, including CAD/CAM, is increasingly used for fabricating dental devices.
- The comparative effectiveness of digital versus conventional occlusal splints for TMD is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical effectiveness of digitally fabricated occlusal splints versus conventionally fabricated ones for treating TMD.
- To evaluate differences in pain intensity, mouth opening, and patient satisfaction between digital and conventional splints.
- To assess the time required for clinical occlusal adjustment for both types of splints.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
- Searches conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL up to March 2026.
- Included 8 RCTs with 390 patients comparing digital and conventional occlusal splints for TMD.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in post-treatment pain intensity (MD = -0.22; 95% CI = -0.92 to 0.48).
- Limited and maximum mouth opening, as well as patient satisfaction, were comparable between digital and conventional splints.
- Digitally fabricated splints showed significantly shorter clinical occlusal adjustment time (MD = -9.10 minutes; 95% CI = -15.18 to -3.02).
Conclusions:
- Digital and conventional occlusal splints yield comparable clinical outcomes for TMD patients regarding pain, function, and satisfaction.
- Digital splints present a practical advantage due to reduced clinical adjustment time.
- Further high-quality RCTs with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.
