Abstract
Factors relevant to myofunctional disorders include life stages, malocclusion, attrition, tooth loss, intercuspal interference, functional mandibular shift, overbite due to attrition or tooth loss, lifestyle or dietary habit, excessive occlusal force due to nocturnal/awake bruxism, and various combinations of these. During the seven years from 2006 to 2013, 458 patients with toothache, dental hyperesthesia, or suspected myofunctional disorders, e.g., temporomandibular disorders received occlusal examinations using a sheet with special wash designed for a nocturnal bruxism analyzer. After the bite taking, the patients were provided splint treatment (based on the premise that the splint will be worn for a long term). This splint treatment aims to protect oral systems from excessive occlusal force of nocturnal bruxism, maintaining a position close to functional occlusion. 339 patients (74％) continued to use the splint, and among these patients, 83％ confirmed subsidence of chief complaints; 47％ admitted alleviation of other problems.
