Clinical Update quiz
The clinical update online is a free member service providing up to 11 FREE CPD hours per year.
Each month, the clinical update is published online and in the Victorian Dentist. There are 11 clinical updates per year, corresponding with the distribution of the Victorian Dentist from February to December. This service is available to ADAVB and ADATas members only. Members can log in to view and answer the clinical update questions. If you answer at least eight out of 10 questions correctly, you will receive one hour of scientific CPD.
Please note: Each new clinical update will be available below from the first business day of each month.
March Clinical Update
Effects of occlusal splint therapy on opposing tooth tissues, filling materials and restorations
Osiewicz MA, Werner A, Roeters FJM, Kleverlaan CJ. Effects of occlusal splint therapy on opposing tooth tissues, filling materials and restorations. J Oral Rehabil. 2021;48(10):1129-1134. doi:10.1111/joor.13235
Introduction
Occlusal splints are an important tool in the management of bruxism and temporomandibular disorders. Hard or soft splints are used to protect not only the patients’ teeth, but also restorations against wear or fracture. Although a clinician's skills and experience play a major role in designing and fabricating the best splint for each patient, the choice of the material is also important, especially when the therapy is planned for a long period of time. Little information is available on the wear of teeth or restorations induced by contact with the splint material.
Hard acrylic resin-based splints are either chemically cured or heat/pressure cured and are, in general, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based. PMMA is cured from methyl methacrylate by the addition polymerisation reaction, which is activated by heat (heat-cured polymethyl methacrylate, HC) or by chemical activators (chemical-cured polymethyl methacrylate, CC). The difference between the HC and CC is mainly the degree of conversion of the monomers, where the CC has a higher content of unwanted residual monomer. The wear rate of different splint materials was investigated previously showing different wear rates for PMMA-based materials. An optimal splint material should wear faster (has higher wear rate) than opposing tooth material and restorative materials to prevent destruction.
The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate two-body wear of dentine, enamel, glass-ceramic or one of four resin composites when opposing splint materials, namely ProBase HC and CC. The null hypothesis is that there is no difference between HC and CC splints on opposing materials.
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