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AIM: To evaluate a new therapeutic approach that may permanently address excessive involuntary muscle activity which causes temporomandibular disorders(TMD). METHODS: A cohort of 69 TMD patients(33 men and 36 women, age range 14-71 years) was treated with Subconscious Temporomandibular Dysfunction(STe Dy) therapy. A thick awareness splint assisted patients to gradually recognize the interdependence between psychological pressure and subconscious muscle activity. The STe Dy therapy lasted for one year and involved three stages:(1) data collection including medical history, clinical examination and psychological evaluation;(2) application of the awareness splint and consultation on a monthly basis; and(3) final evaluation.RESULTS: About 10% of patients(3 men and 4 women) quit the STe Dy therapy within the first 3-6 modue to severe health problems or psychosocial reasons. Based on the absence of objective and subjective clinical symptoms as well as on radiographic findings, the temporomandibular dysfunction treatment was successful in all remaining 62 patients that completed the year-long therapy. Symptoms, including recurrent headache, morning fatigue, clicking sound or painful temporomandibular joint disorders, were eliminated in all patients within the first six months. By completion of the STe Dy therapy, all patients had learned to recognize stressful conditions and cognitively avoided displaying excessive bruxism or other subconscious activity of the stomatognathic muscles. A follow-up after at least one year indicated the permanent nature of the cognitive treatment in all patients, illustrating the fact that subconscious muscle activity due to stress plays a principal role in the great majority of TMD, at least in adults.CONCLUSION: The STe Dy therapy successfully and permanently resolved TMD problems of all patients that completed the year-long treatment.
METHODS: A cohort of 69 TMD patients (33 men and 36 women, age range 14-71 years) was treated with Subconscious A thickening splint assisted patients to gradually recognize the interdependence between psychological pressure and subconscious muscle activity. The STe Dy therapy lasted for one year and involved three stages: (1) data collection including medical history, clinical (2) application of the awareness splint and consultation on a monthly basis; and (3) final evaluation. RESULTS: About 10% of patients (3 men and 4 women) quit the STe Dy therapy within the first 3 -6 modue to severe health problems or psychosocial reasons. Based on the absence of objective and subjective clinical symptoms as well as on radiographic findings, the temporoman dibular dysfunction treatment was successful in all remaining 62 patients that completed the year-long therapy. Symptoms, including recurrent headache, morning fatigue, clicking sound or painful temporomandibular joint disorders, were eliminated in all patients within the first six months. By completion of the STe Dy therapy, all patients had learned to recognize stressful conditions and cognitively inadevidatively displayed excessive bruxism or other subconscious activity of the stomatognathic muscles. A follow-up after at least one year indicated the permanent nature of the cognitive treatment in all patients, illustrating the fact that subconscious muscle activity due to stress plays a principal role in the great majority of TMD, at least in adults. CONCLUSION: The STe Dy therapy successfully and permanently resolved TMD problems of all patients that completed the year-long treatment.