2022 Volume 14 Issue 3 Pages 329-332
Patient: The patient was a 60-year-old woman with the chief complaint of difficulty in chewing. She had been receiving medical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Open bite caused by deformation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and TMJ pain on chewing were observed. An oral appliance (OA) with a metal framework was used to reconstruct the appropriate occlusal contact and to improve masticatory function because it can easily adapt to future changes in occlusal condition caused by the worsening of rheumatoid arthritis.
Discussion: Placement of the final OA may have reduced the stress on TMJ, thus relieving TMJ pain.
Conclusion: In this case with open bite caused by deformation of TMJ accompanied with TMJ pain and masticatory difficulty, an OA with a metal framework was applied. The symptoms were alleviated and the patient was satisfied with the treatment.
