occlusal splint
Deprogrammer Night Guard: How It Works and When You Need One
A deprogrammer night guard is a hard, flat-plane upper appliance that keeps the posterior teeth apart, allowing the lateral pterygoid muscles to release and the condyles to seat into a stable position. In clinical reports, an anterior deprogrammer reduced bruxism events by 53.1% in sleep phase 1, 41.9% in phase 2, 37.8% in phase 3,…
Hard Acrylic Mouthguard vs Alternatives: A Clinical
The most popular advice about a hard acrylic mouthguard is also the least useful: prescribe it automatically for every patient who grinds or clenches. Hard acrylic remains an excellent protective material, but “best” depends on the patient’s parafunction, restorations, tolerance for rigidity, clinical objective, and the practice’s fabrication workflow. A guard that survives heavy loading…
Hard vs Soft Night Guard: How to Choose the Right One
The most common advice on a hard vs soft night guard is too simple. “Soft for comfort, hard for protection” sounds neat, but that shortcut can steer treatment the wrong way if the goal is muscle suppression, pain relief, or restoration protection. A guard that feels pleasant on night one isn’t automatically the right appliance…