title: Occlusal adjustment in patients with craniomandibular disorders including headaches. A 3- and 6-month follow-up.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of occlusal adjustment on symptoms and signs of craniomandibular disorders (CMD), including headaches, after 3 and 6 months. Fifty patients were selected and randomly assigned to a treatment (T) or a control (C) group. All patients in the treatment group were subjected to occlusal adjustment, whereas the controls were comforted only. Pre- and post-treatment assessment of subjective symptoms and clinical signs was made by a dentist not performing the occlusal adjustment. There was significant improvement in overall subjective symptoms within the T group at the 3- and 6-month follow-up visits, but a statistically significant difference between groups was found at the 3-month follow-up only. With regard to changes in frequency of facial pain a significant deterioration was reported within the C group, which resulted in a significant difference between groups at the 6-month follow-up. No other significant differences were found within or between groups at the follow-ups with regard to the variables investigated. In conclusion, the results from this study that occlusal adjustment is a treatment modality with a statistically significant short-term effect on symptoms of CMD of muscular origin and superior to counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatognathic Physiology, Faculty of Odontology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vallon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ekberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nilner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kopp
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003376:Counseling; D003767:Dental Occlusion, Balanced; D003769:Dental Occlusion, Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome