Occlusal Splints and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence

Cesanelli, Leonardo; Cesaretti, Gianfranco; Ylaitė, Berta; Iovane, Angelo; Bianco, Antonino; Messina, Giuseppe

doi:10.3390/ijerph181910338

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Analogous to the results of the present study is the conclusion of the review by Cesanelli [ 76 ], in which, among other things, occlusal splint characteristics and occlusion experimental conditions or exercise biomechanics were analyzed. They suggested the application of the occlusal splints as a way to improve either athletes’ or individuals’ oral health and additionally as a potential tool optimizing marginal aspects of exercise performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

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Improvement of cervical spine mobility and stance stability by wearing a custom-made mandibular splint in male recreational athletes

Herzog¹,

Göttfert²,

Maurer-Grubinger

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Objectives The range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine and postural stability are important for an economical and motorically adequate adaptation of the body to any situation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze whether these two components of postural and movement control can be influenced by means of a splint in a centric position compared to habitual occlusion. Methods 38 recreational male athletes volunteered. Cervical spine ROM was recorded using an ultrasound system and the a pressure measuring plate for postural stability (length of center of pressure (CoP) movement, area of CoP). The two dental occlusion conditions employed were the habitual occlusion and wearing a splint in an idealized, condylar position close to the centric position. Level of significance was set at ρ ≤ 0.05. Results The cervical spine mobility increased significantly by wearing the splint regarding rotation to the left (+3.9%) and right (+2.7%) and lateral flexion to the left (+4.4%) and right (+6.7%). Wearing the splint reduced the area of sway deflections by about 31.5% in the bipedal stance and by about 2.4% (left) and 28.2% (right) in the unipedal stance. The CoP trace was reduced in the sagittal plane by approximately 8.2% in the right single-leg stance. Conclusions The major findings seem to demonstrate that wearing a splint that keeps the jaw close to the centric relation may increase the cervical ROM and may improve balance stability in male recreational athletes. Changing the jaw relation in athletes can possibly aid the release of performance potentials by improving coordination skills.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…4% increase in stride frequency by wearing the forwarding splints. However, jaw repositioning splints showed no influence at different running intensities [ 76 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvement of cervical spine mobility and stance stability by wearing a custom-made mandibular splint in male recreational athletes

Herzog¹,

Göttfert²,

Maurer-Grubinger

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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“…The effects of tooth occlusion and occlusal splints (OSs) have been investigated in various sports in terms of exerting an immediate impact on motor function. 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 The present study investigated the effects of occlusal strength and balance on remote facilitation using motor function assessment. With an increase in occlusal strength, remote facilitation and muscle strength increased, but an optimal strength for the smooth joint movement was identified, i.e., low‐intensity occlusion (Moderate condition).…”

Section: Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effects of tooth occlusion and occlusal splints (OSs) have been investigated in various sports in terms of exerting an immediate impact on motor function. [35][36][37][38] The present study investigated the…”

Section: Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of remote facilitation on ankle joint movement: Focusing on occlusal strength and balance

Yamada

Hirabayashi

Okada

et al. 2023

Health Science Reports

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Background Remote facilitation refers to teeth occlusion‐activated spinal cord activity resulting in increased trunk and limb muscle strength. Facilitation depends on dentition‐related pressure during occlusion and masticatory muscle contraction strength. Aims This study aimed to clarify the neurophysiological phenomenon and mechanisms by which occlusal strength and balance affect leg muscle activity and smooth joint movement execution. Materials & Methods To examine occlusal strength, three conditions were set: no contact between teeth and Moderate‐ and Maximum‐strength occlusion (No‐bite, Moderate, and Max conditions, respectively). To assess occlusal balance, we measured occlusal forces and calculated the left‐right force ratio. We designated the sides with higher and lower occlusal pressure as hypertonic and hypotonic, respectively. We assessed ankle dorsiflexion movements with joint movement and isometric tasks. Results The rate of joint development and peak ankle dorsiflexion torque were significantly higher under occlusion (moderate and max compared to No‐bite conditions), and the joint movement performance time was significantly shorter under Moderate compared to No‐bite conditions. The joint movement execution time change rate from No‐bite to Moderate condition was significantly lower on the Hypertonic side. Joint movement function was most improved under Moderate conditions. Discussion While remote facilitation improves with higher occlusal strength, leading to increased muscle strength, there is optimal occlusion intensity in joint movement. Moreover, an occlusal balance‐dependent imbalance exists in remote facilitation between the Hyper‐ and Hypotonic sides. Conclusion Thus, low‐intensity occlusion is optimal for smooth joint movement, and unbalanced occlusion results in asymmetrical motor function facilitation.

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“…Since middle-and long-distance performances are mainly dependent on runners' maximal oxygen uptake, exercise economy and technical skills [1][2][3], some preliminary studies aimed to understand how the dental occlusion and the mandibular position may impact running exercise. In this regard, occlusal splints have been manufactured particularly aiming for muscular strength, endurance and lower limb kinematic improvements [4][5][6] and generic use for overall performance enhancement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Wearing a 50% Lower Jaw Advancement Splint on Biophysical and Perceptual Responses at Low to Severe Running Intensities

Cardoso

Monteiro

Vilas-Boas

et al. 2022

Life

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Acute ergogenic effects of wearing occlusal splints have been reported for aerobic and anaerobic exercises, but the literature centered on performance improvement by using jaw repositioning splints is scarce. We aimed to analyze the effect of wearing a 50% lower jaw advancement splint on biophysical and perceptual responses at low to severe running intensities. Sixteen middle- and long-distance runners performed twice a 7 × 800 m intermittent running protocol (with 1 km‧h−1 increments and 30 s rest periods) in an outdoor track field using two lower intraoral splints (a placebo and a lower jaw advancer). These devices were custom manufactured for each participant and a randomized and repeated measure design was used to compare conditions. No differences between placebo and lower jaw advancer were found (e.g., 52.1 ± 9.9 vs 53.9 ± 10.7 mL·kg−1·min−1 of oxygen uptake, 3.30 ± 0.44 vs 3.29 ± 0.43 m of stride length and 16 ± 3 vs 16 ± 2 Borg scores), but small effects were sometimes observed (e.g., 109.2 ± 22.5 vs 112.7 ± 25.2 L·min−1 of ventilation, ES = −0.42). Therefore, this jaw advancement splint had no substantial ergogenic effect on biophysical and perceptual responses when running at different intensities.

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Occlusal Splints and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence

Cited by 14 publications

References 54 publications

Improvement of cervical spine mobility and stance stability by wearing a custom-made mandibular splint in male recreational athletes

Improvement of cervical spine mobility and stance stability by wearing a custom-made mandibular splint in male recreational athletes

Effects of remote facilitation on ankle joint movement: Focusing on occlusal strength and balance

Effects of Wearing a 50% Lower Jaw Advancement Splint on Biophysical and Perceptual Responses at Low to Severe Running Intensities

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