CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION

Dmitry Nacharyan; Samvel Apresyan; Alexander Stepanov; Maksim Kopylov; Oksana Moskovets

doi:10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282

VAK Russia 3.1.7 UDC 616.31

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CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION

Published in Actual problems in dentistry · Volume 22, Issue 2 · Pages 274–282 · Rubric: ORTHOPEDIC AND DIGITAL DENTISTRY. ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282

Received: 09.06.2026 Accepted: 29.06.2026 Published: 29.06.2026 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Dmitry Nacharyan

Samvel Apresyan

Alexander Stepanov

Maksim Kopylov

et al.

Oksana Moskovets

Dmitry Nacharyan

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Institute of Digital Dentistry at the Medical Institute · Russian Federation · Moscow

Samvel Apresyan

Academic degree: doctor of medical sciences

Science rang: professor

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba Director · Institute of Digital Dentistry · Russian Federation · Moscow

Alexander Stepanov

Academic degree: doctor of medical sciences

Science rang: docent

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba Professor at the Institute · Institute of Digital Dentistry, Medical Institute · Russian Federation · Moscow

Maksim Kopylov

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Institute of Digital Dentistry at the Medical Institute · Russian Federation · Moscow

Oksana Moskovets

Academic degree: candidate of medical sciences

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia Associate Professor at the Institute · Institute of Digital Dentistry at the Medical Institute · Russian Federation · Moscow

ABSTRACT

Relevance. One clinically significant yet insufficiently studied provoking factor is prolonged forced maximum mouth opening during dental treatment. Conventional bite-opening devices do not provide individualized mandibular positioning and do not allow dynamic adjustment of interocclusal distance during treatment. Objective. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an individual programmable bite block during prolonged therapeutic dental treatment in terms of pain intensity, functional limitations, and treatment tolerance. Materials and methods. A prospective controlled clinical study included 20 patients with clinically confirmed masticatory muscle myalgia. The study design involved sequential comparison of two methods of dental arch separation during 120-minute treatment visits: a standard serial bite block and an individual programmable bite block. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analogue scale, along with the number of pain episodes per visit, time distribution of pain episodes, post-procedural muscle pain, maximal mouth opening, electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles, treatment tolerance, and the number of forced treatment interruptions. Results. The individual programmable bite block significantly reduced the within-visit increase in pain. EMG amplitude of masticatory muscles at the end of treatment was 64.7 ±10.9 μV with the standard bite block and 49.2 ±8.6 μV with the individual programmable device. Integral EMG activity at Tend was 211.6 ±31.4 and 158.7 ±26.9 μV•s, respectively. Conclusion. The individual programmable bite block reduces the functional load on masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint structures, decreases pain intensity during and after treatment, lowers the number of pain episodes, and improves tolerance of prolonged dental procedures.

KEYWORDS

temporomandibular joint dysfunction, masticatory muscle myalgia, prolonged dental treatment, individual programmable bite block, visual analogue scale, electromyography, treatment tolerance

Funding

The article was prepared as part of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (FSSF-2026-0012)

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GOST

Nacharyan D. G., Apresyan S. S., Stepanov A. G., Kopylov M. V., Moskovets O. O. CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION // Actual problems in dentistry. 2026. no. 2. pp. 274-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282. (Date of access 12.10.2026).

MLA

Dmitry Nacharyan, Apresyan S. S., Stepanov A. G., Kopylov M. V., Moskovets O. O.. "CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION." Actual problems in dentistry 22.2 (2026): 274-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282.

APA

Nacharyan D. G., Apresyan S. S., Stepanov A. G., Kopylov M. V., Moskovets O. O. (2026). CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION. Actual problems in dentistry, 22(2), 274-282. https://doi.org/10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282

Chicago

Dmitry Nacharyan, Apresyan S. S., Stepanov A. G., Kopylov M. V., Moskovets O. O.. "CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION." Actual problems in dentistry 22, no. 2 (2026): 274-282. https://doi.org/10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Nacharyan D. G., Apresyan S. S., Stepanov A. G., Kopylov M. V., Moskovets O. O. | title = CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION | journal = Actual problems in dentistry | year = 2026 | volume = 22 | issue = 2 | pages = 274-282 | doi = 10.18481/2077-7566-2026-22-2-274-282 }}

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CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMABLE BITE BLOCK FOR THE PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION OF SYMPTOMS OF MUSCULAR-ARTICULAR DYSFUNCTION

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