Effect of Appliance Therapy on Specific Symptom Sites of TMD.

E. ABDALLAH, "'A. ABOUSHALA, N. MEHTA AND A. FORGIONE

(Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA USA).

A retrospective study was designed to evaluate the effect of flat plane, intraoral
appliances on the number of sites of specific Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)
symptoms. Fifty-five subjects were selected from patients visiting the Gelb
Craniomandibular and Orofacial Pain Center at Tufts University School of Dental
Medicine. The criteria of selection were: I) No physical therapy or chiropractic
treatments prior to or during the four visits, 2) No muscle relaxants, psychotropic or pain
medication or any active treatment for their presenting symptoms and 3) Treatment
having consisted of only a full coverage, flat plane, lower appliance. Symptom sites were
recorded on the day of appliance insertion and on the fourth visit during an eight-week
period. Symptom sites for ~ach of four areas of the body studied were given a maximal
score of 100 according to the following weighting: 1) Headache (29 of 55 subjects)
frontal = 25, occipital = 25, right temporal = 25 and left temporal =25; 2) Neck
complaints (24 of 56 subjects) stiffness/pain = 50 and tightness = 50; 3) Joint sounds (24
of 55 subjects) right side = 50; and 4) Joint pain (28 of 55 subjects) right side = 50, left
side = 50. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests showed a significant reduction in all TMD
symptoms sites; I) the number of headaches sites in 29 subjects showed a reduction of
65% (p<O.OOl), 2) neck symptom sites in 24 subjects reduced 57% (p<O.OOl), 3) the
number of joint sound sites in 24 subjects reduced 74 % (p<O.0003) and 4) the number of
joint pain sites in 28 subjects reduced 71% (p<O.OOOI). Results suggest that the sole use
of flat plane. appliance therapy is effective in reducing the number of specific head. neck
and TM ioint symptom sites in TMD patients.

IADR Abstr. # 1688, San Antonio, TX; March 1995