What is an anterior repositioning appliance and its clinical use?

• A. A splint that positions the mandible forward to reduce muscle hyperactivity and reposition the disc-condyle complex in some TMD cases.
• B. A device to reposition the tongue.
• C. A device to rotate the mandible side to side.
• D. A night guard to prevent bruxism.

Answer: (A)

An anterior repositioning appliance is a dental splint that holds the lower jaw forward. By guiding the mandible into a forward position, it often reduces abnormal muscle activity during clenching and shifts the disc-condyle complex toward a more anterior-superior relationship. This can unload the retrodiscal tissues, decrease pain, and—in cases of anterior disc displacement—help the disc sit in a more favorable position, sometimes recapturing it. Clinically, it’s used as a reversible, diagnostic-therapeutic tool to see if symptoms originate from joint derangement with displacement and muscle hyperactivity and to attempt to improve the jaw’s function by temporarily altering its positional relationship. It’s not intended as a permanent fix, and it isn’t used to reposition the tongue, rotate the jaw side to side, or simply to prevent bruxism.