title: [Evaluation of conservative treatment for craniomandibular disorders].
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of conservative treatment for craniomandibular disorders. These included patient education and home care program, physical therapy, medication and flat occlusal splint therapy. Additionally the influence of sex, age, and duration of the use of the flat occlusal splint was evaluated. Forty-eight patients with craniomandibular disorders, collected from 1988-1991 in the Temporomandibular Joint Clinic of the Dental Department of Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, were studied. The results of this study indicated that (1) the treatment result of joint and muscle pain, joint sounds, limitation of mouth opening and jaw deviation after conservative treatment showed statistically significant improvement; and (2) this study was unable to demonstrate any influence of sex, age or duration of the splint use on the treatment effect. The results of this study indicate the need to further investigate the use of the occlusal splint for 24 hours, as compared with night-times only.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming Medical College.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013165:Splints; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors