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Studying Dental Splints and Dentures for Posture

This study is looking into how changes in your bite, specifically the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO), might affect your balance and walking. Researchers will use custom-made dental splints to incrementally change your VDO from 5 to 30 mm. Another group will test how wearing or not wearing dentures affects balance and movement. The study aims to understand how your teeth and jaw system (stomatognathic system) influence your posture. We are looking for healthy adults aged 30-65, with specific dental conditions, to participate. The main goals are to measure changes in your center of pressure, postural sway, and stride length after these interventions. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 40 participants. It is not specified if the study is randomized or blinded.
What's involved
Participants will receive six custom dental splints or undergo balance and gait testing with and without dentures. Measurements for balance and walking will be taken 60-90 minutes after interventions.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Measurements are taken at 60-90 minutes after interventions. Longer-term follow-up is not specified.

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NCT06974591

Postural Perturbations Tracing to the Stomatognathic System

Recruiting
NAAges 30–65InterventionalBasic science
Boston University
~40 participants
Updated 2025-12-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Dental splintsDentures

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Center of pressure
Measured over 60-90 minutes
+5 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Posture

Explore related trials

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Massachusetts1

Study leadership

  • Alexandros Tsouknidas, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University

Who to contact

Alexandros Tsouknidas, PhD
[email protected]
617-358-8777
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

30-45 years old
Physically and cognitively healthy (able to easily walk without assistance)
Possessing a complete set of teeth (either natural or restored with crowns)
Classified as Class I malocclusion according to Angle's criteria.
50-65 years old
Physically and cognitively healthy (able to easily walk without assistance)
Fully edentulous
Wear complete dentures

Exclusion

Parkinson's Disease
Morbid obesity i.e. BMI values exceeding 40, calculated based on body weight and height requested over the phone or during the visit
Occlusion altered due to a non-physiological condition i.e. trauma or pathology
Active temporomandibular joint disorder
Pregnancy, as pregnancy-related physiological changes could influence the study's balance and gait measurements. This exclusion will be based on self-report during the screening process, and no additional testing will be conducted.
Any other condition that in the opinion of the study researchers has potential to impact balance or gait

What this trial measures

  • Center of pressure60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with a motion capture system (consisting of specialized infrared cameras), which will document the kinematics of reflective markers, placed on the subjects' head and body.

  • Postural sway60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with a motion capture system (consisting of specialized infrared cameras), which will document the kinematics of reflective markers, placed on the subjects' head and body.

  • Stride length60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with a motion capture system (consisting of specialized infrared cameras), which will document the kinematics of reflective markers, placed on the subjects' head and body.

  • Step width60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with a motion capture system (consisting of specialized infrared cameras), which will document the kinematics of reflective markers, placed on the subjects' head and body.

  • Gait velocity60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with a motion capture system (consisting of specialized infrared cameras), which will document the kinematics of reflective markers, placed on the subjects' head and body.

  • Muscle activation60-90 minutes

    This outcome will be assessed from data collected with wireless Electromyography (consisting of small sensors), which will document the activation of specific muscle groups, controlling head and jaw position.