[Improvement of outcomes by primary treatment for temporomandibular disorders]

The aim of this study was to survey the current state of the temporomandibular joint disorder treatment in our clinic and to confirm the therapeutic outcomes. The subjects in this study were recruited from among the patients with temporomandibular disorders who attended the Temporomandibular Disorder Special Clinic, Department of Oral Surgery, Hitachi Yokohama Hospital during one year period from February 2007 to January 2008. A total of 100 consecutive outpatients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders were selected for the study. Pain intensity and the degree to which daily function was limited before and after treatment were evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score was evaluated simultaneously, and the correlation with changes in symptom was evaluated. The median (25th, 75th percentiles) of pain intensity (VAS value) before treated was 45 (25.0, 65.0) and the degree of limitation of daily function (VAS value) was 15 (0.0, 50.0). The median (25th, 75th percentiles) of pain intensity at 4 weeks after was 10 (0.0, 30.0), and significantly lower than that before treatment (p = 0.000). The degree of limitation of daily function was 0 (0.0, 10.0), also significantly lower than that before treatment (p = 0.000). The BDI-II score decreased from 8 (2.0, 11.8) before treatment to 5 (2.0, 11.0, p = 0.024) and showed no significant correlation with the improvement in outcomes by primary treatment for temporomandibular disorders.