Ultrasonographic and electromyographic evaluation of three types of occlusal splints on masticatory muscle activity, thickness, and length in patients with bruxism.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate occlusal splint type differences in patients with bruxism. METHODS: Seventeen controls and 51 patients were divided into three subgroups, each assigned to use a different occlusal splint (hard, soft, or semi-soft) for 3 months and assessed by ultrasonography and electromyography (EMG) before (BT) and 3 months after treatment (AT). RESULTS: EMG values in all of the occlusal splint groups were significantly lower AT than BT (p < 0.05). BT and AT EMG values in the control group did not differ. Mean muscle thicknesses in bruxism patients was greater than in controls, and the greatest muscle thickness changes occurred with the hard occlusal splint (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: A decrease in EMG activity occurred with all three splint types and was most prominent in the hard occlusal splint group. Ultrasonographic measurements of muscle length and thickness should be used alongside EMG to measure muscle activity in bruxism patients.

Biomechanical Comparison of a New Triple Cylindrical Implant Design and a Conventional Cylindrical Implant Design on the Mandible by Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implant designs with different lengths and diameters on the stress distribution in abutments, implants, and cortical and trabecular bone of the edentulous mandible via three-dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight different finite models (cylindrical 3.5 × 6; cylindrical 3.5 × 10.5; cylindrical 4.5 × 6; cylindrical 4.5 × 10.5; triple cylindrical 3.5 × 6; triple cylindrical 3.5 × 10.5; triple cylindrical 4.5 × 6; and triple cylindrical 4.5 × 10.5) were created. Abutments, abutment screws, and metal-retained porcelain crowns were modeled on the implants. A 200-N oblique load was applied on the buccal cusp of the crown. The highest maximum principal (Pmax) and minimum principal (Pmin) stresses were calculated for trabecular and cortical bone, and von Mises stress values were calculated for the implant and abutment. RESULTS: The triple cylindrical implant abutments showed lower stress values than cylindrical implant abutments. The highest von Mises stress values were observed in the cervical third of the abutments. The stress values on implants were found at the neck of the implants, and cylindrical implants showed higher stress values than triple cylindrical implants. The peak Pmax and Pmin values in cortical bone were detected around the implant neck. For implants with a 3.5-mm diameter, the triple cylindrical implant design showed lower stresses in cortical bone than the cylindrical implant design; however, similar stresses were observed in 4.5-mm implants for both designs. Implant length did not affect the stresses in cortical bone. Implants with a 10.5-mm length showed lower Pmax values than implants with a 6-mm length in trabecular bone. For Pmin values in trabecular bone, the triple cylindrical implant design had lower values than did the cylindrical implant design. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, the triple cylindrical implants, with a new implant design, showed appropriate results in terms of abutment, implant, and bone tissue stress.