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Evidence summaries

Occlusal Splints for Sleep Bruxism

There is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of occlusal splints in the treatment of sleep bruxism. Level of evidence: "D"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 5 studies with a total of 111 subjects. Occlusal splint was compared to palatal splint, mandibular advancement device, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, and no treatment. No statistically significant differences between the occlusal splint and control groups were found.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by limitations in study quality, by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison) and by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).

    References

    • Macedo CR, Silva AB, Machado MA, Saconato H, Prado GF. Occlusal splints for treating sleep bruxism (tooth grinding). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD005514. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords