Bruxism in children: Effectiveness of bite splints

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bite splints in the treatment of children with bruxism, reduction or elimination of symptoms and effective use of the dental appliance by patients. Methods: The sample consisted of 30 children with bruxism, aged 7 to 10 years, attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the University of Southern Santa Catarina. After approval by the ethics committee and parental informed consent agreement, children underwent anamnesis, physical examination, and alginate molding for fabrication of acrylic bite splints. The children were reassessed after 15 days and after 4, 8 and 12 months of splinting use through new clinical examination and questionnaires. Results: The use rate of bite splints shows that there was a positive correlation (rP=0.9961) between the decrease in use and time elapsed. The parafunctional habit of bruxism was no longer observed in 76.7% of the sample. It was observed that both symptoms evaluated, headache and muscular discomfort, showed a behavior that, if present at the beginning of treatment, declined during follow-up. No splint wear and tear was observed. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in parafunctional activity, headache and muscular discomfort with the use of bite splints. The higher the persistence of patients, the higher the use rate of bite splints.