Occlusal splints for treating sleep bruxism (tooth grinding)
Macedo CR
Published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Methodology
Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis; searches of the Cochrane Oral Health register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and others to May 2007 with no language restriction; duplicate independent data extraction and validity assessment.
Key Findings
This Cochrane review screened 32 potentially relevant randomised trials and included 5, comparing occlusal splints with palatal splint, mandibular advancement device, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or no treatment. Only one outcome (arousal index) was common enough to pool, and the meta-analysis found no statistically significant difference between occlusal splint and control. The authors conclude there is insufficient evidence that occlusal splints treat sleep bruxism, though some benefit for tooth wear is possible.
Conclusions
There is not sufficient evidence to state that the occlusal splint is effective for treating sleep bruxism.
Limitations
Only five small, largely crossover trials could be included, with heterogeneous outcomes so that just one endpoint could be pooled; the authors call for larger parallel-group trials with standardised outcomes.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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