# Changes of the Occlusal Relationship in Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) After Manual Therapy: A Pilot Study

## TL;DR

This pilot study found that manual therapy for TMD caused measurable changes in dental occlusion compared to a control group.

## Contribution

The study provides new empirical evidence that manual therapy significantly affects occlusal relationships in TMD patients.

## Key findings

- Manual therapy caused higher occlusal deviations in TMD patients compared to controls.
- Significant differences were observed in the Y and Z axes and Euclidean distance after therapy.
- The study suggests manual therapy influences habitual intercuspidation in TMD patients.

## Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are often linked to changes in dental occlusion, yet the impact of therapeutic interventions remains unclear. This pilot study investigates the effects of manual therapy on occlusion in TMD patients through quantitative analysis of intraoral scans.

Ten individuals were diagnosed with TMD and underwent a 40‐min session of manual therapy (Group MT). Ten subjects were allocated to the healthy control group (Group C) and did not receive any therapy during the 10‐week control period. Occlusion measurements were obtained using the TRIOS 3 intraoral scanner (3Shape, Denmark) both before and after the therapy or control period. The digital models were analyzed regarding occlusal changes using the GOM Inspect Professional software (GOM, Germany). The differences in the individual axes dXPat,dYPat,dZPat (mm) and Euclidean distance dXYZPat (mm) were computed.

In terms of the arithmetic mean, Group MT exhibited higher deviations across all three axes (dXPatMT=0.122 (mm),dYPatMT=0.217 (mm), dZPatMT=0.193 (mm)) as well as in the Euclidean distance (dXYZPatMT=0.347 (mm)) than the control group (dXPatC=0.060 (mm), dYPatC=0.063 (mm), dZPatC=0.043 (mm), dXYZPatC=0.113 (mm)). Statistically significant differences were observed for the Y and Z axes, as well as the Euclidean distance (p < 0.05).

Considering the limitations of this pilot study, it is reasonable to suggest that manual therapy has a significant influence on occlusion in habitual intercuspidation among TMD patients.