Temporomandibular Dysfunction in Patients With Tinnitus: Assessment and Treatment

The Effect of Conservative Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders on Somatic Tinnitus

TMD treatment, based on state of the art knowledge derived from clinical studies will be applied in patients with tinnitus and TMD. When this approach proves to be useful for the treatment of tinnitus, it offers a new therapeutic option for patients with tinnitus. To understand how TMD treatment works for patients with tinnitus, we will analyse mediating factors, i.e. factors that contribute to the therapeutic effect. To help clinicians in their clinical process we will identify prognostic indicators, i.e. factors that predict a positive or negative outcome of TMD treatment. This can provide a helpful tool in clinical practice.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients will be included when suffering from somatic tinnitus, attributed to TMD, which has been stable for at least 3 months.
• Tinnitus Functional Index score between 25 and 90

Exclusion Criteria:

• clear otological or neurological causes of the tinnitus such as Menière's disease, severe depression (diagnosed by a psychologist), progressive middle ear pathology, intracranial pathology
• traumatic cervical spine or temporomandibular injury in the past 6 months
• tumours
• previous surgery in the orofacial area
• in case physical therapy treatment directed to the orofacial area is contra-indicated
• if the patient received TMD treatment in the past 2 months
• drug intake that can affect the outcome measures