Oral myofunctional therapy for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the role of oral myofunctional therapy for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. Methods: A search of the literature was carried out looking for randomized controlled trials performed on humans and written in English, Italian, French, and Arabic. Results: Four randomized controlled trials were found and evaluated by using the Study Quality Assessment Tool of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Oral myofunctional therapy was shown to be effective for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders, alone or associated with other treatments, in three out of four studies, with significant reduction of pain intensity when compared to other conservative treatments and no treatment. Discussion: Even though scientific evidence is weak, oral myofunctional therapy appears to be effective for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders with favorable cost-benefit and risk-benefit ratios.