HALE ARIKAN KALAYCI, DİLEK YILMAZ
Clinical Dentistry and Research - 2025;49(2):119-126
Background and Aims: The most common complaints among patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) include myofascial pain, muscle spasms, limited mouth opening, and reduced sleep quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of thick stabilization splint therapy in patients with myofascial pain. Materials and Methods: A retrospective clinical study was performed by reviewing the clinical data of patients exhibiting symptoms of TMD and sleep bruxism with myofascial pain. Stabilization splint therapy with a thickness of 5 mm in the anterior region was applied to all patients. The patients were divided into three distinct age groups (20-30, 31-40, and 41- 55). Clinical outcomes were assessed by analyzing maximum mouth opening (MMO) values, pain scores on the visual analogue scale (VAS), and sleep quality before therapy and at the 3-month follow-up. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS software, and the findings were assessed at a significance level of 0.05. Results: A total of 90 patients participated in the study (70 women and 20 men, mean age 35.98±11.68 years). VAS scores of pain was significantly decreased in all age groups (2.43±1.35) (p<0.001). Increased MMO values and improvements in sleep quality were observed (p<0.001). According to the baseline and 3-month results of VAS, MMO and sleep quality scores, the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Three-month thick stabilization splint therapy is effective for managing myofascial pain, limited mouth opening, and poor sleep quality symptoms across different age groups.
