Bruxism minimizing gradual changes to the positions of the teeth, preventing tooth damage and revealing the extent and patterns of bruxism through examination of the markings on the splint's surface. A dental guard is typically worn during every night's sleep on a long-term basis. However, a meta-analysis of occlusal splints (dental guards) used for this purpose concluded "There is not enough evidence to state that the occlusal splint is effective for treating sleep bruxism." A "repositioning splint" is designed to change the patient's occlusion, or bite. The efficacy of such devices is debated. Some writers propose that irreversible complications can result
Grinding (abrasive cutting) work in the machining fields, the term "cutting" is often understood to refer to the macroscopic cutting operations, and "grinding" is often mentally categorized as a "separate" process. This is why the terms are usually used separately in shop-floor practice. Lapping and sanding are subsets of grinding. Selecting which of the following grinding operations to be used is determined by the size, shape, features and the desired production rate. "Surface grinding" uses a rotating abrasive wheel to remove material, creating a flat surface. The tolerances that are normally achieved with grinding are ± for grinding a flat material and ±