OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare occlusal splints (OS) and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in treating pain-related and other clinical sequelae of adult sleep bruxism (SB). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1998 to February 2025. A meta-analysis was conducted for pain outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Both OS and BTX-A decreased pain-related clinical sequelae. The meta-analysis did not find a statistically significant difference between the interventions regarding pain reduction at the intermediate follow-up. Faster short-term relief of symptoms was observed with BTX-A in some studies. Associations between BTX-A injections and temporary reductions in jaw muscle activity and bite force were observed. OS primarily offers mechanical protection while maintaining function. The certainty of evidence was moderate for pain reduction outcomes and lower for other reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Occlusal splints and botulinum toxin type A provide similar improvements in clinical sequelae associated with adult bruxism during sleep. Occlusal splints are the preferred conservative intervention when the prevention of mechanical sequelae and maintenance of function are primary goals.
Aldosari et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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