الفهرس Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 126 |  |  |
| | | from | 126 | | |
Abstract
For this study, thirty patients suffering from spontaneous pre auricular facial pain, tenderness to palpation in the muscles of mastication, and limitation of jaw movement were selected.
For each patient, clinical examination and radiographic evaluation were performed at the beginning of the study.
Patients were divided into three groups:
Group I: included ten patients, for whom a stabilization occlusal splint was constructed at height (thickness) equal to all the existing interocclusal rest space.
Group II: included ten patients, for whom a stabilization occlusal splint was constructed at height (thickness) equal to half the existing interocclusal rest space.
Group III: included ten patients, for whom a stabilization occlusal splint was constructed at height (thickness) 2mm higher than the existing interocclusal rest space.
The study compared the effect of these different heights of the occlusal splints on the improvement of the clinical conditions of patients with TMD. The patients were re-evaluated clinically and electromyographically 2, 4, and 12 weeks from splint insertion.
The collected data was tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results showed that: using stabilization splint with thicknesses equal to or half the existing interocclusal rest space significantly improved the clinical symptoms of TMD patients, in relation to the pretreatment stage. However, using the stabilization splint with thickness 2mm higher than the existing interocclusal rest space produced a significant more rapid and effective improvement in clinical symptoms than the stabilization splint with thickness equal to or half the existing interocclusal rest space.
1- A study is needed to evaluate the clinical symptoms at successive periods after the removal of the splint.
2- A larger sample of patients is to be used to evaluate the extent of success in group III patients.
3- More studies are needed to make a better differential diagnosis in patients with TMD.