The occlusal guard: a simplified technique for fabrication and equilibration.

Hard occlusal guards have been used effectively to treat myofacial pain originating from parafunctional activities. Also, they can protect the natural dentition when it opposes porcelain restorations, help to evaluate changes in occlusal vertical dimension during full mouth rehabilitation, minimize further tooth loss in patients with abfraction lesions, and redirect occlusal loads more favorably onto dental implant-supported prostheses. A simplified technique is described to fabricate a properly designed wax model of an occlusal guard that can be processed in acrylic in the same manner used to construct a complete denture.