Purpose: Whether it is possible to prevent mechanical stress on teeth via an occlusal splint remains to be clarified. This study aimed to assess the same by simultaneously recording the occlusal pressure and strain on the teeth in humans.
Methods: Eleven participants (five women and six men; mean age 25.7 years) were enrolled in this study. Hard and soft oral appliances were fabricated for the maxillary arch of each participant. The strain on the four target teeth (right maxillary and mandibular first premolars, and first molars) and occlusal pressure were concurrently measured, while the participants performed maximum voluntary teeth clenching under each condition (hard, soft, or no occlusal splint).
Results: Compared to the absence of an occlusal splint, hard occlusal splints generated less strain on molar teeth but more strain on premolar teeth, while soft occlusal splints did not lower the strain on all target teeth significantly.
Conclusion: Considering the limitations of this study, hard occlusal splints should be used for the protection of molar teeth but for premolar teeth caution is required and depends on the case. On the other hand, soft occlusal splints may not have any benefit for the protection of either type of teeth for patients exhibiting excessive occlusal pressure.
Keywords: occlusal force; occlusal splint; tooth strain.