BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of an education program with that of an occlusal splint in treating myofascial pain of the jaw muscles across a short period. METHOD: The authors assigned 44 patients randomly to two treatment groups; 41 patients completed the study. The first group (four male, 19 female; mean (standard deviation (SD)) age 31.4 (14.0) years) received information regarding the nature of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and self-care measures, whereas the second group (five male, 13 female; mean (SD) age 31.1 (8.8) years) received an occlusal splint. One of the authors evaluated each patient every three weeks during a three-month treatment period. Treatment outcomes included pain-free maximal mouth opening, spontaneous muscle pain, pain during chewing and headache. RESULTS: After three months, changes in spontaneous muscle pain differed significantly between the education and occlusal splint groups (p = 0.034; effect size = 0.33). Changes in pain-free maximal mouth opening did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.528; effect size = 0.20). Changes of headache and pain on chewing did not differ significantly between groups (p >= 0.550, effect size <= 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: During a short period, education was slightly more effective than an occlusal splint delivered without education in reducing spontaneous muscle pain in patients with TMD. Pain-free mouth opening, headache and pain during chewing were not significantly different between the two treatments.

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