The purpose of the study was investigating the effects of pivot splint on width of the temporomandibular joint space I order to get the basic data for clinical applications. Pivot splint could be used for treating the patients with
temporomandibular
disorders, especially for chronic closed lock which would not be reduced by joint manipulation or with other methods. So it is necessary to have a lot of underlying data for using pivot splint, but there is few available reports related to
mechanical
principle or clinical results of the splint.
Healthy twenty dental students were collected for this study and pivot splint with 2.5mm high right-side pivot was used. Next, transeranial projection was taken and width of joint space at three mandibular positions were measured : habitual
occlusion
position, clenching position with splint, and clenching position with splint and mandibular force. The data were processed with SAS statistical program.
@ES The obtained results were as follows :
@EN 1. Ipsilateral posterior joint space width was increased on clenching the pivot splint, but joint space widths of contralateral side were not significantly changed.
2. Superior and posterior joint space width were increased on clenching the pivot splint with mandibular force on both ipsilateral and contralateral side.
3. Ipsilateral joint space widths were not significantly changed from habitual occlusion position to clenching the pivot splint with active mandibular force, but in case of with passive mandibular force, posterior joint space width was
significantly
increased.
4. Correlationships between mandibular positions were more significant at anterior joint space than at superior or posterior joint space. But the correlation between clenching and clenching with mandibular force was significant at all the three
joint
space.
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