Evaluating the Impact of Various Treatment Modalities on the Chewing Efficiency of Anterior Disc Displacements of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Cases: A Comparative Study.

Aim: Internal disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is identified by an anomaly between the condylar-disc assembly, which, in many cases, may lead to discomfort and malfunction of the chewing function. The study's objective was to assess the effects of four distinct treatment approaches on temporomandibular disorder cases with anterior disc displacements focusing on their chewing efficiency. Materials and Methods: One hundred participants suffering from reducible TMJ disc displacement were selected for enrollment in the study. Subjects were divided equally into four groups: group I patients were treated with behavioral therapy; group II patients were treated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT); group III patients were treated with anterior repositioning splints; and group IV patients were treated with flat plane splints. Chewing efficiency was assessed utilizing the fractional sieving method and a synthetic food substitute was created using silicon impression material. The statistical analysis encompassed comparisons of chewing efficiency between groups and between baseline and posttreatment within each group, employing analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t tests, respectively. Results: Using the paired t test, a significant difference in chewing efficiency values as expressed by the median particle size was observed between the baseline and 6-month values in all groups (P < 0.05), except for group I where no significant change was noted over the 6 months (P > 0.05). The one-way ANOVA test revealed a statistically significant difference among groups following therapies (P ˂ 0.05). The post hoc Tukey test was employed for pairwise comparisons and revealed statistically significant variances in the main values of chewing efficiency among all groups at a 95% confidence level (P ˂ 0.05). Conclusion: The study's results suggest that occlusal splints and LLLT are more effective in improving chewing efficiency than behavioral interventions.

Efficacy of Occlusal Splints and Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Mandibular Range of Motion in Subjects with Temporomandibular Joint Disc Displacement with Reduction.

Aims and Objectives: The study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of four conservative therapeutic modalities on the mandibular range of motion (MRM) in subjects with anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Materials and Methods: One hundred patients (64 women and 36 men) were selected, and randomly distributed into four groups. Group I: Subjects receiving behavioral therapy (BT). Group II: Subjects receiving low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Group III: Subjects receiving maxillary anterior repositioning splint (MARS). Group IV: Subjects receiving stabilization splint (SS). The MRM was evaluated for each patient before treatment and after 6 months. Paired t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used for statistical analysis followed by a post hoc Tukey test (P ≤ 0.05). Results: All groups showed significant improvement in MRM after 6 months of treatment (P ≤ 0.05) except for BT. There was a significant improvement for SS and MARS on the different movements of MRM, more than for LLLT and BT (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The MARS and the SS are effective in increasing the MRM for patients with ADDwR.