The effect of anterior repositioning splint therapy on maximum bite forces in patients with disc interference disorders

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effect of anterior repositioning splint (ARS) on maximum bite force (MBF) values in patients with disc interference disorders (DID). Material and methods Twenty-two patients with disc interference disorders and 22 healthy subjects participated in to study. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) Axis I have been used to diagnose DID patients. All patients received ARS therapy for 6 weeks. The MBF measurement was performed with Flexi-Force piezo-resistive sensors for both healthy subjects and patients before and after ARS therapy. Results A significant difference was recorded by the increase of the mean MBF values after the use of the ARS in the patient with disc derangements (p < .05). Conclusions APS therapy is efficient for eliminating pain and increasing MBF of the patients with DID. In addition, the use of FlexiForce sensors may be a practical solution to assess the bite force in the clinical setting.