Effectiveness of the occlusal stabilization splint in the treatment of myogenous temporomandibular disorders: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of stabilization splints in the treatment of myogenous temporomandibular disorders (TMD).The review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An electronic search was conducted in 2 databases - MEDLINE via PubMed and the Web of Science. The final search was conducted in May 2022.Ten randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included. The total sample size was 539 participants, with a mean follow-up of 6 months. Four outcomes were assessed: pain reduction (10 studies); mouth opening improvement (5 studies); headache reduction (2 studies); and quality-of-life (QoL) improvement (4 studies). Most trials reported improvement in TMD symptoms in comparison with the baseline measures. Nevertheless, the overall quality of evidence was low due to moderate to high risk of bias and the small sample sizes.Given the limitations of the systematic review, occlusal stabilization splint therapy appeared to be effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of TMD. However, further large-scale prospective studies are needed to evaluate its long-term effectiveness.