Después de cien a？os de uso: ？las férulas oclusales tienen algún efecto terapéutico?

occlusal appliances or splints have been used for over a century, generating controversy about their real therapeutic value. this led to an updated review to assess their effects according to scientific evidence. the concept of centric relation and its determination as a starting point of treatment; the use of splints to deprogram; their effect on the oral motor behaviour known as bruxism are discussed. their effect on emg activity during resting, swallowing and maximal clenching in the masticatory and neck muscles; their effect on muscular eficiency; their effect decreasing the joint overload; and experimental evidence of the use of several appliances on speciic symptoms such as pain and joint noise, are also treated. the true challenge is to generate new knowledge about joint degenerative changes, the craniocervical relationships, tilt and curvature of the cervical spine. in conclusion, it's necessary to use an occlusal appliance designed for the specific condition of the patient, and its real therapeutic value is demonstrated by the improvement of some signs and symptoms in masticatory and cervical muscles. however, the action mechanisms of occlusal appliances are not fully understood. the lack of scientiic support contributes to the persistent controversy of the use of these appliances in the treatment of temporomandibular joint sounds and reversing degenerative changes. it is still a challenge to carry out new researches supporting the use of these appliances as an effective method to treat our patients using management protocols and periodic evaluations.