Despite its prevalence throughout the UK, Bruxism often remains overlooked and underdiagnosed. Whilst for some bruxing doesn’t cause any serious symptoms, for many, the side effects are painful, persistent and damaging.
There are many treatments available to combat the side effects of Bruxism, including Botox and behavioural therapy. However, for habitual bruxers, an Occlusal Splint may be the only viable treatment option.
A study by Clark GT et. al, showed patients have the ability during sleep to clench up to 4 times more intensely than in normal function, this may lead to suffering from tension-type headaches, amongst other symptoms, including tooth wear and damage.
An Occlusal Splint (SCi) can be placed over the upper and/or lower teeth to reduce tooth damage and reduce the parafunctional intensity of the Temporalis and Masseters – by eliminating posterior and canine contact.
There are also a number of other splints and mouthguards available, including soft bite raising appliances, nightguards, Michigan and Tanner.
The SCi is designed to inhibit the ability to clench by providing an anterior discluding element, which reduces the forces generated by around 75% in the Temporalis and 50% in the Masseter. It is extremely effective in reducing the effects of Bruxism and addressing TMD. The SCi is FDA-approved for the treatment of Bruxism and medically diagnosed migraines. There are two design options available:
Lab-made and Chairside.
A laboratory-made version, exclusive to S4S. Often chosen to reduce chair time, the SCi+ is made to your specification - giving the option to increase retention with a full arch, or retain maximum patient comfort with the traditional partial arch design.
The Chairside SCi is an alternative to the Lab-made version of our splint and is designed for you to manufacture in practice for immediate treatment of a patient in approximately 20 minutes.
We offer five different SCi kits, each designed to provide everything you need for fitting in your surgery. All kits include contents for the treatment of five patients.
To discover the simple process involved in producing a Chairside SCi splint, watch our handy tutorial with Dr Barry Oulton.
This splint was developed with the object of treating TMJ dysfunction and to control Bruxism. We have developed a process that is extremely robust and virtually eliminates the need for metal clasping in most cases.
The most commonly prescribed splint for Bruxism and TMD, BRAs are available in a number of designs. However, some evidence suggests that they significantly increase clenching activity in 50% of patients.
Our guard offers a soft inner lining for increased comfort and a hard outer more resistant to wear. This is often used to prevent damage from grinding, when the patient presents no other symptoms of Bruxism or clenching.
Whilst occlusal splints are often a preferred treatment choice for many, there are a wide variety available with some better than others. In a study by Okeson, it was found that hard splints significantly reduced muscle activity in 80% of participants, whilst soft guards increased activity in 50% (1987).
The SCi was developed to reduce bruxing – providing heightened muscle relaxation by altering the force vectures, reducing EMG levels by as much as 80%.
Dr Barry Oulton is a highly experienced dentist, lecturer and vocational trainer, who brings a wealth of practical knowledge to the subject of pain management. As a sought-after coach and speaker, he travels internationally and has helped 1000’s of dentists and teams with communication skills, TMD, grinding, clenching, and business coaching.
Dr Barry Glassman is an internationally recognised authority on Bruxism and related issues. His hard-hitting and inspirational talks have been popular with dental audiences around the world. A popular and dynamic speaker, Dr Glassman maintained a private practice limited to chronic pain management, temporomandibular joint dysfunction and dental sleep medicine. He currently serves as consultant to the Allentown Pain and Sleep Centre, maintaining the Allentown Model and the Allentown Pain and Sleep Centre.
