Comparison of Disability Score and Chronic Pain Grading with Different Treatment Modalities in a Sample of Temporomandibular Joint Disc Displacement with Reduction Patients

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of splint, laser and placebo laser therapies on the improvement of disability score and chronic pain grading in a sample of temporomandibular joint disorders disc displacement with reduction patients. Methods: A sample of 30 Temporomandibular disorders patients (8 males and 22 females, mean age 25± 6.3 years) having disc displacement with reduction diagnosed by clinical examination (according to the research diagnostic criteria of temporomandibular disorders, and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups: group 1 received an anterior repositioning splint for 3 months, group 2 received low-level laser therapy, while group 3 received placebo laser therapy. Both laser groups received 12 laser sessions over 3 months. Assessments were performed before treatment (T1) and repeated after three months (T2) using the research diagnostic criteria Axis II questionnaire. Between groups, there was no significant improvement in neither disability scores (Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.05) nor chronic pain grading after treatment (Fisher’s exact test (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Conservative treatment modalities applied in this study had non-significant effects on the improvement of temporomandibular joint disorder related disability and chronic pain grading in patients with disc displacement with reduction.