Effectiveness of a Counseling Program for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) Treatment

Effectiveness of a Counseling Program for TMD Treatment

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of counseling on pain, function and well-fare outcomes for the management of patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

In this study, 51 patients were allocated to one of the research groups. In Group I, it was instituted counseling therapy. For Group II was conducted treatment as usual with occlusal splint. Patients were followed for returns at 7, 15, 30 and 60 days after baseline. At baseline, all patients were examined and assessed Research Diagnostic Criteria/Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD form). In addition, the patients were referred for specific treatment according to the group to which belonged. In each session, patients were also surveyed about pain intensity using a Numeric Scale. To analyze the impact of pain on quality of life, Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire was used.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female individuals
• Positive diagnosis of TMD according to RDC/TMD
• Presence of pain in the orofacial region persisting for at least a week of at least moderate intensity, according to the Numeric Scale of pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• TMD treatment for ongoing pain
• Presence of pulpal or periodontal disease
• Orthodontic treatment in progress
• Daily use of analgesics, antidepressants or muscle relaxants
• History of radiotherapy to the head and neck, or any adverse systemic condition that may favor presentation of symptoms involved