Journal of oral rehabilitation
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The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that (1) the presence of a clinical temporomandibular joint-related disorder has effects on short-term changes in temporomandibular joint pain, and that (2) clinical variables of time since pain onset predict treatment outcomes of occlusal splint therapy. The study comprised 76 patients with unilateral temporomandibular joint pain. The clinical disorder subgroup included 47 patients with a clinical pain side-related diagnosis of internal derangement type I (n = 16), internal derangement type III (n = 19), and degenerative joint disease (n = 12). ⋯ The odds ratio that a patient with a time since pain onset of >2 years might belong to the unsuccessful treatment group of 'pain reduction <30%' was strong (6.0) and significant (P = 0.026). Diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorder proved not to be linked to changes in therapeutic outcome measures of temporomandibular joint pain. Time since pain onset was an important prognostic determinant of successful occlusal splint therapy.