• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2013

Objective: All patients who have the disc displacement with reduction (DDwR) are always not progressive but some of them with significant catching or locking progress to disc displacement without reduction (DDw/oR). In this study, we suggest opening exercise therapy using Locking-free Appliance (LA) to be helpful to prevent progressive derangement. Methods: Retrospectively, a total 37 patients who received exercise treatment using LA was analyzed from January 2010 to December 2011. Patients had been instructed in proper exercise technique to practise for opening and closing of mouth wearing the appliance 30 times a day in locking-free position. Results: None of the patients took a turn for worse to DDw/oR (37 patients). The 16 patients (43.2%, locking-free group) of them could open their mouth without intermittent condylar locking. Measurement of data was analyzed using and Mann-Whitney test. There was no statistically significant difference for age, gender, presence of palpational pain, locking period, VAS quantitative pain score between locking-free group and locking group. Conclusions: In this study, some patients could open their mouth without intermittent locking and did not take a turn for worse to DDw/oR after opening exercise therapy with LA. Furthermore, LA had advantages which were short wearing time, low costs and minimizing patients' uncomfortable compared to conventional treatment method. This therapy can be more appropriate new treatment to prevent progress to DDw/oR.