title: Individual prediction of treatment outcome in patients with temporomandibular disorders.
abstract: Out of 3159 patients referred to a specialist clinic of stomatognathic physiology, 1297 patients started treatment because of temporomandibular disorders. All those patients were divided into subgroups of patients with mainly muscular or TMJ symptoms, respectively. A prediction of the treatment outcome as good or dubious was also made. This prediction was based on the patient's history and the clinical findings. A total of 989 patients (76%) completed the treatment. They all graded the degree of improvement of their initial symptoms using a Numeric Rating Scale. An improvement of initial complaints of 50% or more was judged to be a relevant change. In 85% of the patients with mainly muscular symptoms, the treatment was predicted to have a good outcome. The corresponding figures for those patients with mainly TMJ symptoms were 93%. Not less than 88% of all the patients reported an improvement of 50% or more of their initial complaints. The possibility to predict the treatment outcome as good in patients with mainly muscular symptoms was very good: 90% fulfilled the criteria of a positive treatment result. For those with a dubious prognosis, 56% had a positive outcome of treatment. The possibility to predict treatment outcome as good in those with mainly TMJ symptoms was also very good: 94% responded positively on the treatment. Almost the same figure, 88%, of those with a poor prognosis had a positive treatment outcome.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Stomatognathic Physiology, Sollefteå/Sundsvall, Sweden. bertil.sundqvist@lvn.se
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundqvist
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magnusson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003778:Dentures; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007284:Inlays; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019558:Occlusal Adjustment; D017090:Occlusal Splints; D011379:Prognosis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome