TREATMENT OUTCOME IN PATIENTS WITH CRANIOMANDIBULAR DISORDERS OF MUSCULAR ORIGIN - A 7-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

We outcome of different treatment modalities after 7 yeats was investi gated in a selected group of so patients with craniomandibular disorde rs of muscular origin. To maximize the possible effects of selection o n the clinical material, the selected treatment group teas compared to a consecutive group of patients in terms of age, gender; intensity/du ration of pain, and socioeconomic profile, Both groups were comparable in most respects, but the selected group had a longer duration and a higher intensity of pain at base-line. There were more men in the cons ecutive group than in the selected group. A combined treatment approac h resulted in a better-outcome than single treatments. Sixty-five perc ent of all patients in the selected group reported improvement at the 7-year follow-up. All of the 19 patients who received counseling combi ned with different occlusal treatments improved. Forty-three percent o f the patients treated otherwise showed improvement. Patients who were aware of stress responded better to treatment.