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Published on: December 20, 2024
Deflection of occlusal splints under bruxism-like conditions: An exploratory in vitro investigation
Cordula Leonie Merle1, Angelika Rauch2, Johann Wulff2
1Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, UKR University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. cordula.merle@ukr.de.
Objective:
Occlusal splints are common part of bruxism management to reduce occlusal forces. This preliminary study investigates in vitro the deflection of occlusal splint materials.
Materials And Methods:
Two occlusal splints per material were fabricated by casting (Palapress vario), thermoforming (Erkodur 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm), milling (Bio Splint P HI, Bio Splint C, ClearSplint), and 3D printing (LuxaPrint Ortho Plus, 0° and 45° orientation). Each splint was applied to a functional dental model featuring movable plastic teeth. The right upper incisor, canine, and second premolar were loaded up to 50 N on occlusal and buccal sides using a universal testing machine (Z010, Zwick; four measurements). Statistical analysis used Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test with Bonferroni correction (α = 0.05).
Results:
Mean deflection of the tooth-splint-system ranged from 0.8 mm to 2.7 mm. Significant differences between the materials were detected (p < 0.001), with the highest values for Erkodur 1.0 mm and ClearSplint and the lowest for Bio Splint P HI and Erkodur 1.5 mm. No significant differences were observed between the two print orientations of LuxaPrint Ortho Plus.
Conclusions:
This preliminary study demonstrates material-dependent differences in the deflection of occlusal splints under load. Clinically oriented test setups may provide valuable insight for evidence-based material selection in bruxism management.
