title: Splint therapy for disc displacement with reduction of the temporomandibular joint. part I: modified mandibular splint therapy.
abstract: The aims of this preliminary study were to present a modified mandibular splint together with a treatment regimen and to evaluate their effects on the treatment of reciprocal joint sounds of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The study participants were recruited from 312 consecutive patients in the temporomandibular disorder clinic of a medical center in Taiwan from January 2003 to December 2003. From among these, 59 cases with typical reciprocal clicking were selected for this study. All participants were treated with a modified mandibular splint and then followed up for 6 months. Successful treatment was defined as leading to the disappearance of the joint sounds of TMJ, as described by patients. Based on clinical evaluation, the overall success rate was 71.2% (42/59) with minimal temporary complications. Patients with clicking at less than 3.5 cm of interincisal opening had a success rate of 92.5%, which was higher than the success rate of patients with clicking at a mouth opening of 3.5 cm or more. This study showed that a modified mandibular splint can be used to treat reciprocal clicking of the TMJ effectively and encouraged us to conduct further study on the efficacy of this splint to treat disc displacement with reduction of TMJ using magnetic resonance imaging examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Yueh
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ju-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yu-Hsun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Chao-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013016:Sound; D013165:Splints; D013624:Taiwan; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome