Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease. Oral manifestations in these patients include paralysis or spasm of facial muscles, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), trigeminal neuralgia, dysphagia, or dysarthria. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of orofacial pain in patients with MS.
Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 patients with a definite diagnosis of MS referred to Iran MS Association and Iran MS Research Center. The patients were in the age group of 17 to 57 years and were selected completely randomly. Data were obtained based on two checklists and clinical examination. Finally, DC/TMD criterion was used to check TMD problems. Then the data was analyzed by SPSS version 26 software and by Fisher's Test.
Results: The prevalence of MS disease was higher in women and the average age of patients was 37 years and the average duration of MS disease among patients was 8 years. The most common pain was related to shooting and shock-like pain with a frequency of 40.4% and the lowest quality was related to dull and diffuse pain with a frequency of 5.3%. In total, 24.5% of patients with buccal-oral pain had TMD, and in this case, the DC/TMD criterion was used.
Conclusion:  Temporomandibular disorders and shooting and shock-like pains are usually observed in a number of patients with MS.  As a result, dentists should be aware of the presence of these pains in the patient, the pain trigger, and the drugs used by the patients, in order to provide medical services and being aware of drug interactions.

Background and Aims: Temporomandibular disorders refer to a set of musculoskeletal problems that affect the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and surrounding anatomical structures. These disorders are associated with symptoms such as pain, click, asymmetry, or reduced maximum opening. The etiology of many temporomandibular disorders is complex, for this reason the initial treatments must be reversible and non-invasive. The use of occlusal splints is effective in reducing symptoms, and therefore, it is recommended in early and even long-term treatment of these disorders. These appliances play major role in developing conditions such as stabilizing joint position, creating favorable occlusal conditions that lead to normal muscle function, and protecting teeth and supporting structures against dental wear. The purpose of this article was to present a comprehensive review of occlusal splints in Persian language. Materials and Methods: A search on Pubmed and Google scholar databases was done and the keywords "occlusal splints" and "temporomandibular disorders" were used. The inclusion criterion was articles published in English in the field of the types of occlusal splint between 1980 and 2020. Conclusion:  In this review, the occlusal splints and their applications have been introduced.The success or failure of treatment with occlusal splints depends on various factors such as the correct selection of patients, the process of manufacturing, occlusal adjustment of splints, and the patients’ cooperation.