Custom-made mouth prop for TMJ arthrocentesis: a technical note.

INTRODUCTION

TMJ arthrocentesis involves lavage of the upper joint space which forces the disc apart from the fossa and washes away the inflammatory components of the joint. To increase the joint space during arthrocentesis, the patient is usually asked to open the mouth and deviate it to the opposite side so as to distract the condyle from the glenoid fossa thereby increasing joint space.

METHOD

The authors describe a simple and rapid technique of preparing a custom-made mouth prop to hold the mandible in eccentric position during arthrocentesis.

FINDINGS

The custom-made mouth prop is an effective tool to help relax the patient in an eccentric position during the duration of arthrocentesis procedure.