Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Management of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: Clinical Outcomes

Mohammad K Alam; Mohammed E Rashid; Khaleda Akhter; Abedalla Abdelghani; Hamzah A Babkair; Mohammed G Sghaireen

doi:10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_938_23

Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Management of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: Clinical Outcomes

J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024 Feb;16(Suppl 1):S678-S680. doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_938_23. Epub 2024 Feb 29.

Authors

Mohammad K Alam^{1

2

3}, Mohammed E Rashid⁴, Khaleda Akhter⁵, Abedalla Abdelghani⁴, Hamzah A Babkair⁴, Mohammed G Sghaireen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Preventive Dentistry Department, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Dental Research Cell, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
³ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Periodontology and Oral Pathology, Pioneer Dental College and Hospital, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) encompass a range of clinical conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures. Management approaches for TMDs vary and include both surgical and non-surgical interventions.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of 150 patients diagnosed with TMDs were reviewed. Patients were categorized into two groups: surgical intervention and non-surgical intervention. The surgical group underwent various surgical procedures, including arthroscopy, arthroplasty, and joint replacement, while the non-surgical group received conservative treatments such as physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, and occlusal splints. Pain levels, TMJ function, quality of life (QoL), and patient satisfaction were assessed at baseline and post-treatment (6 months and 1 year).

Results: At the 6-month follow-up, both groups experienced a significant reduction in pain scores (surgical group: 6.3 ± 1.2 to 2.4 ± 0.9, non-surgical group: 6.1 ± 1.1 to 3.2 ± 1.0). TMJ function improved in both groups (surgical group: 2.5 ± 0.8 to 4.8 ± 0.6, non-surgical group: 2.6 ± 0.7 to 4.2 ± 0.9). QoL scores increased (surgical group: 35.2 ± 4.6 to 50.3 ± 5.1, non-surgical group: 35.5 ± 4.2 to 45.7 ± 4.8), and patient satisfaction rates were high (surgical group: 92%, non-surgical group: 87%) at the 1-year follow-up.

Conclusion: Both surgical and non-surgical management approaches demonstrated significant improvements in pain relief, TMJ function, QoL, and patient satisfaction for individuals with TMDs.

Keywords: Clinical outcomes; TMD; non-surgical intervention; patient satisfaction; surgical intervention; temporomandibular joint disorders.