Treatment outcome in patients with craniomandibular disorders of muscular origin: a 7-year follow-up.

The outcome of different treatment modalities after 7 years was investigated in a selected group of 50 patients with craniomandibular disorders of muscular origin. To minimize the possible effects of selection on the clinical material, the selected treatment group was compared to a consecutive group of patients in terms of age, gender, intensity/duration 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 baseline. There were more men in the consecutive group than in the selected group. A combined treatment approach resulted in a better outcome than single treatments. Sixty-five percent of all patients in the selected group reported improvement at the 7-year follow-up. All of the 19 patients who received counseling combined with different occlusal treatments improved. Forty-three percent of the patients treated otherwise showed improvement. Patients who were aware of stress responded better to treatment.