The Use of Earplugs on Temporomandibular Joint

The term temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) refers to a group of disorders affecting the temporomandibular joint and/or muscles of mastication. Typical symptoms are; joint noises, pain, and limited mouth opening. Many therapeutic modalities have been advocated for the treatment of TMD as intraoral splints, laser, ultrasound, physical therapy, surgery, and medications with inconsistent reported results due to the multifactorial etiology of this disorder. Although intraoral splints are the most widely used therapy, it has some drawbacks as being inconvenient for the patient due to their relatively large size interferes with eating and affects speech, therefore their use is mostly limited to sleeping time, which decreases its effectiveness. Recently some commercial earplugs that claim to treat TMD have been introduced, however, there is no validated data regarding these appliances. Thus, this study aimss to evaluate the possible effect of earplugs on myogenous TMD.

Evaluating pain perception of the patients by using visual analogue scale and measuring pain response with self-evaluation and reporting (Minimum value: 0; maximum value:10)

Inclusion Criteria: Pain in masticatory muscles for at least 3 months according to the DC/TMD Having a stable medication regimen for at least 1 month Age of 18-65 years Minimum pain intensity of 50 mm on a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) No concomitant systemic disease Natural posterior occlusion. Exclusion Criteria: Undergoing physical therapy Using muscle relaxants and/or NSAIDs Previous TMD treatment more recently than one year Major psychosocial problems Undergoing orthodontic treatment Wearing removable prosthesis Pregnancy History of facial trauma.