Abstract
Patient: A 52-year-old female visited our hospital with a complaint of pain in the left temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Twelve or thirteen years earlier, she had worn a removable partial denture (RPD) after tooth extraction, but she had stopped using it because of discomfort. Examination revealed a deviation of the patient’s jaw position from the original intercuspal position. As the initial treatment of the patient, an RPD and an occlusal splint were used to correct the mandibular position. After her TMJ symptoms had improved, we re-evaluated the mandibular position and decided it required full-mouth occlusal reconstruction.
Discussion: Esstablishment of occlusal support with an RPD and the use of an occlusal splint to maintain proper mandibular position improved the symptoms of TMJ and masticatory muscle pain.
Conclusion: This patient with TMJ disorder caused by loss of occlusal support was successfully rehabilitated using an RPD and an occlusal splint, which restored the proper mandibular position.
