Instrumental assessment of sleep bruxism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis (MA) aimed to evaluate the diagnostic validity of portable electromyography (EMG) diagnostic devices compared to the reference standard method polysomnography (PSG) in assessing sleep bruxism. This systematic review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and was registered with PROSPERO prior to the accomplishment of the main search. Ten clinical studies on humans, assessing the diagnostic accuracy of portable instrumental approaches with respect to PSG, were included in the review. Methodological shortcomings were identified by QUADAS-2 quality assessment. The certainty of the evidence analysis was established by different levels of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. A meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy was performed with multiple thresholds per study applying a two-stage random effects model, using the thresholds offered by the studies and based on the number of EMG bruxism events per hour presented by the participants. Five studies were included. The MA indicated that portable EMG diagnostic devices showed a very good diagnostic capacity, although a high variability is evident in the studies with some outliers. Very low quality of evidence due to high risk of bias and high heterogeneity among included studies suggests that portable devices have shown high sensitivity and specificity when diagnosing sleep bruxism (SB) compared to polysomnography. The tests performed in the MA found an estimated optimal cut-off point of 7 events/hour of SB with acceptably high sensitivity and specificity for the EMG portable devices.

Recommendations on the Use of Oral Orthotic Occlusal Appliance Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: Current Evidence and Clinical Practice.

Background: 'Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs)' denote an umbrella term that includes arthritic, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions involving the temporomandibular joint, the masticatory muscles, and the associated tissues. Occlusal devices are one of the common treatment modalities utilized in the conservative management of TMDs. The indications for the available 'oral splints' or 'oral orthotic occlusal devices' remain ambiguous. Methods: A joint international consortium was formulated involving the subject experts at TMJ Foundation, to resolve the current ambiguity regarding the use of oral orthotic occlusal appliance therapy for the temporomandibular joint disorders based on the current scientific and clinical evidence. Results: The recommendations and the conclusion of the clinical experts of the joint international consort has been summarized for understanding the indications of the various available oral orthotic occlusal appliances and to aid in the future research on oral occlusal orthotics. Conclusion: The use of the oral orthotic occlusal appliances should be based on the current available scientific evidence, rather than the archaic protocols.