A study of condylar positional changes before & after stabilization splint therapy

Lee, Suk Kyung; Yoon, Young Jooh; Kim, Kwang Won

Abstract

Stabilization splint therapy precedes orthodontic intervention to enable the operator to find a "true" centric(which is stable and comfortable); to test the patient's response to a change in the occlusion, prior to embarking upon a complex course of occlusal therapy ; and finally, to see if the centric relation position can be stabilized. For this study, 47 malocclusion patients enrolled for orthodontic treatment at the Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, Chosun University, comprised the malocclusion group, little variation of growth factor by the second molar eruption. They had Cr-Co discrepancy beyond normal range. For each patients the stabilization splint with mutually protected type of occlusal scheme was applied for 3 months. Condylar positions in CR and CO were measured using Panadent articulators, Panadent condylar position indicator(CPI), and transcranial projection before & after stabilization splint therapy. On the basis of this study, the results of this study were as follows: 1. In all samples using CPI, there were statistical significances in CR-CO discrepancy(P<4.001) both before & after stabilization splint therapy. 2. In Rt and Lt+Rt/2 of superior joint space using transcranial projection, there were statistical significances in CR-CO discrepancy({<0.05) before & after stabilization splint therapy. 3. In supero-inferior components using CPI, there were statistical significances in CR-CO disciepancy(P<0.01) before & after stabilization splint therapy. 4. In all components except Rt using transcranial projection, there were no statistical significances in CR-CO discrepancy(P>0.05) before & after stabilization splint therapy. To sum up, CPI might be more effective than transcranial projection to reveal the changes between CR-CO discrepancies and stabilization splint might be more useful appliance for displaying the vertical changes, than the antero-posterior changes, of condylar position.