Acta medica Croatica : c̆asopis Hravatske akademije medicinskih znanosti
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Stabilization splint is the treatment of choice for pain control in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients, even though its mechanism of action is still unknown. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a critical overview of the effectiveness of stabilization splint therapy on the basis of currently available literature data. The available Medline database was searched and 24 studies published since the 1995s have been consequently included in this review. ⋯ This review has shown evidence that most TMD patients are helped by incorporation of a stabilization splint. There is not enough data on the long-term efficacy and effectiveness of this widely used therapeutic tool. In the future, there is a need for well-conducted randomized controlled trials paying attention to adequate sample size, blind outcome assessment, duration of follow up, and using standardized methods for measuring treatment outcomes.