Fitting acrylic occlusal splints and an experimental laminated appliance used in migraine prevention therapy

The Effect of Flat Dual-Cure Stabilizer Occlusal Splint in Pain Relief of Individuals Suffering from Migraine Headaches

Background:

No study on the effect of dual-cure stabilizer splint without canine ramp in migraine patients is present.

Objective:

This study was conducted to determine the effects of maxillary flat dual-cure stabilizer occlusal splint on severity, frequency and episodes of headaches in individuals suffering from a migraine.

Methods:

In this interventional clinical trial, 30 eligible patients were divided into 2 groups (case and control); each group consisted of 8 men and 7 women. Dual-cure stabilizer splint was made for patients in the case group and they used the adjusted splint 20 hours a day for 6 weeks. The severity, frequency and episodes of migraine attacks before and after using the splint were determined. For grading pain, severity visual analogue scale was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and paired t-test.

Results:

The severity, frequency, and episodes of migraine attacks before and after using the splint were reduced by 56%, 68%, and 72%, respectively. The reduction was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Discussion:

Despite the effect of occlusal devices on the migraine disorder is controversial, the most researchers agree that using these appliances can be effective in reducing headache in migraine patients.

Conclusion:

Given the favorable effects of dual-cure stabilizer splint on reducing the severity, frequency and episodes of migraine headaches, the device can be used as an effective alternative therapy besides common pain-relieving methods.

Effect of thermocycling on the shear bond strength of different resins bonded to thermoplastic foil applied in occlusal splint therapy

PURPOSE

Temporomandibular disorders are a group of symptoms related to the impaired function of the temporomandibular joints and associated muscles. Occlusal splint therapy is a common treatment in the aforementioned syndrome. One of the methods of manufacturing occlusal splints is to place a polymer on thermoplastic foil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of light- and self-cured resins bonded to thermoplastic foil dependent on artificial aging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty cylinders composed of light-cured resin and 30 cylinders made of self-cured resin were attached to 60 rectangular thermoplastic plates. All specimens were divided into six groups. A control study was conducted for groups 1 and 2. The other preparation groups were subjected to thermocycling by setting appropriately 1000 cycles for groups 3 and 4 and 3000 cycles for groups 5 and 6 in distilled water. Bond strength was measured in a universal testing machine. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test (p ≤ 0.05).

RESULTS

The statistics revealed that the values of the shear bond strength for specimens composed of self-cured resin after 1000 and 3000 thermocycles were significantly higher than on those made of light-cured resin (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The shear bond strength between the self-cured resin and the thermoplastic foil was higher and more resistant to aging than the shear bond strength between the light-cured resin and the thermoplastic foil.