Profile of a temporomandibular dysfunction and orofacial pain service of a Brazilian public university: what has changed in 10 years? Retrospective study

Lais Valencise Magri,Melissa De Oliveira Melchior,Marco Antonio Moreira Rodrigues Da Silva,César Bataglion,Ana Maria Bettoni Rodrigues Da Silva,Marcelo Oliveira Mazzetto

doi:10.5935/2595-0118.20180046

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The search for healthcare services for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain has increased in the last decades due to the higher access to information and demand for treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze the profile of the service of caring for patients with temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain of a university service over 10 years. METHODS: The quantitative data on temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain care were collected from the School of Dentistry of Ribeirao Preto, from the Sistema de Informatizacao de Clinicas Odontologicas da Universidade de Sao Paulo (ROMEU) for a period of 10 years (2006 to 2016). The data included the total of patients assisted, discharges, absences, referrals to other disciplines, occlusal splints, self-management orientations, speech therapy and physiotherapy, low-intensity laser therapy sessions and electromyography tests. The data were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: There was an increase in the number of patients assisted over the years, in addition to an increase in discharges and reduction of referrals to other disciplines. There was also increased use of pain education procedures and in the number of speech therapy and physiotherapy provided. The occlusal splints followed the increase in the number of patients assisted. CONCLUSION: Over 10 years there was an increase in the number of patients assisted, an increasing appreciation of the practices directed at pain education, self-management orientations, and multidisciplinary action. Also, the occlusal splint was shown to be a therapeutic option still widely used in dentistry.

Highlights

The term temporomandibular disorder (TMD) represents a heterogeneous set of musculoskeletal alterations of which its most common subtypes include painful disorders, such as myofascial pain and arthralgia, internal derangements, and degenerative disorders of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ)
When considering the presence of different factors associated to the TMD, the TMJ Occlusion and Disorders Service (SODAT), a place that gathers data for this research, integrates the connection of education and research with the society, encompassing multi-professional areas such as dentistry, speech therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, among others
The investigation of the public services attendance towards the TMD and orofacial pain (OP) area has been gaining importance over the last years due to a high incidence in the population, besides the impact on the life quality and expenses related to lost workdays and the treatment for these patients[6]

Summary

Introduction

The term temporomandibular disorder (TMD) represents a heterogeneous set of musculoskeletal alterations of which its most common subtypes include painful disorders, such as myofascial pain and arthralgia, internal derangements, and degenerative disorders of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). There is currently a consensus that the conservative and reversible treatments are the best choice in the first instance since the painful TMD is a clinical condition with fluctuation characteristics and spontaneous remission of signs and symptoms Within this perspective, therapeutic modalities such as interocclusal stabilization splint, mandibular exercises, physiotherapy, pharmacological therapy, orofacial myofunctional therapy, pain education, and self-handling guidance are effective choices in the reduction of the painful symptom and mandibular mobility improvement, with proven scientific evidence[5]. When considering the presence of different factors associated to the TMD, the TMJ Occlusion and Disorders Service (SODAT), a place that gathers data for this research, integrates the connection of education and research with the society, encompassing multi-professional areas such as dentistry, speech therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, among others. The occlusal splint was shown to be a therapeutic option still widely used in dentistry

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