---
title: "What Is Occlusal splint? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "An occlusal splint is a hard or soft plastic appliance worn over the teeth to protect them and to ease strain on the jaw muscles and joints."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/occlusal-splint
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Orthodontics

# Occlusal splint

An occlusal splint is a hard or soft plastic appliance worn over the teeth to protect them and to ease strain on the jaw muscles and joints.

Occlusal splints, also called bite splints or stabilization splints, are made from a mold of your teeth. They cover the upper or lower teeth and change how the teeth meet. A review in the NIH library says splints are used in dental offices to diagnose and treat problems of the chewing system, and may be used for jaw joint disorders and bruxism. The same review notes that there is no clear proof splints are better than physical therapy for jaw joint pain. A night guard is a common type. Your dentist will talk with you about when to wear it and how to clean it. See [bruxism](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/bruxism-teeth-grinding), [TMJ disorder](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tmj-disorder-tmd), and [night guard](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/night-guard), or our [night guards](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/night-guards) page.

[Town Center Dental can helpNight Guards for Bruxism](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/night-guards)

## Related terms

-   [Night guard](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/night-guard)
-   [Bruxism (teeth grinding)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/bruxism-teeth-grinding)
-   [TMJ disorder (TMD)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tmj-disorder-tmd)
-   [Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/temporomandibular-joint-tmj)
-   [Occlusal adjustment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/occlusal-adjustment)

## Sources

1.  [NIH PubMed Central: Occlusal splints-types and effectiveness in temporomandibular disorder management](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9931504/)

## Ready when you are

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