STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Limited mandibular movements are one of the most important signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and may cause functional difficulties. PURPOSE: The purpose of this double-blind, randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of treatment with only educational or education associated with self-care therapies on the pattern of mandibular movements of women with chronic painful TMDs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-two women were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups, control group (CG, n = 13), education group (EG, n = 16), and education and self-care group (ESG, n = 13), according to the sequence of treatment they received. A kinesiograph device recorded mandibular movements during maximum mouth opening and mastication at baseline (T0) and at 30-day (T1) and 60-day (T2) follow-up. Kinesiographic data were statistically analyzed using 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons of means (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: The ESG group demonstrated an improvement in the maximum vertical opening (MVO 5.1 +/- 3.4 mm; p = 0.012) and anteroposterior mandibular movement (MAM) during maximum opening (7.4 +/- 9.5; p = 0.019), significantly higher than that of the EG (MVO 1.8 +/- 3.5 mm; MAM 0.8 +/- 5.0 mm) and the CG (MVO 0.9 +/- 3.8 mm; MAM 0.8 +/- 4.4 mm) after 30 days of follow-up. Moreover, at T1, vertical mandibular movement during mastication was significantly higher in the ESG group (17.4 +/- 1.7 mm) than in the EG group (15.0 +/- 2.8, p = 0.027). No significant differences were found between the women who received treatment with educational and self-care therapies for 60 days and the women who received this treatment for 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: In the short-term, education and self-care treatment positively influenced the mandibular movement pattern of women with chronic painful TMDs.

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