A CLINICAL STUDY IN THE PROGNOSIS OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDER

측두하악장애의 예후에 관한 임상 연구

This study is comprised of data obtained from the files of 346 patients with temporomandibular disorders. All patients were diagnosed, treated and followed in the Department of Dentistry at the Inha university hospital, Incheon, Korea. The patients had treated with medications, physical therapy, occlusal splint and arthrocentesis. The study data were obtained from the medical records and telephone interviews that were conducted by research assistants. The results were as follows 1. The patient's main complaint was pain(77%), and mouth opening limitation was 17%. 2. An analysis of the medical records of the 346 patients disclosed that 82% were improved and 17% had no improvement when they were dismissed. 1% of the patients had become worse during therapy. 3. A success rate of 82% was achieved when medication assisted physical therapy was included. In the current status at the telephone interview, 270 patients(89%) reported that they were doing well with 56% describing themselves as asymtomatic and 32% experiencing only minor residual or recurrent symptoms. 11% regarded themselves as unimproved and worse. 4. In the current status of the unsuccessfully treated patients by medications and physical therapy, 64% of patients were doing well(3% as asymptomatic and 56% as only minor residual or recurrent symptom). But 36% of patients was reported as unimproved and worse. 5. TMJ has a remarkable adaptive potential and TMJ disorder has a natural history of spontaneous fluctuations and favorable prognosis during the subsequent natural course. 6. In the treatment of the temporomandibular disorders, there is a treatment ladder, starting with the simplest and least expensive treatment, that is ascended until resolution of the patient's symptoms occur. These findings suggest that conservative reversible therapies are both sufficient and appropriate for management of temporomandibular disorder in most patients. Major alterations of mandibular position or dentoalveolar relationships do not appear to be necessary for obtaining either short term or long term success and therefore they can be generally regards as inappropriate treatment for this disorder. The fact that physical therapy is non-invasive and does not appear to be fraught with irreversible changes, makes it a very applicable vehicle in the area of clinical TMJ disorder management.