RESPONSES TO CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS WITH LOCKING VERSUS WITH MUSCLE PAIN

We conducted a follow-up study of 150 patients with temporomandibular disorders, of whom 91 had muscle pain and 59 locking, in order to inve stigate the response to conservative treatment. The patients with musc le pain showed fairly uniform age distribution, while the percentage o ver 49 years of age was lower in those with locking. Of the patients w ith TMJ locking, the percentage who completed treatment was high, and the duration of treatment in this group was longer than that in those with muscle pain. The differences between these patient groups in the response to conservative treatment may be useful in the assessment of individual patients with temporomandibular disorders, Moreover, the gr eater incidence of completion of conservative treatment in the patient s with locking indicates that these patients should be treated by cons ervative treatment prior to surgical treatment.