Effect of oral splints on muscular temporomandibular disorders in children: A systematic review

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a common chronic pain problem within the population. An increased prevalence of TMD in children has been noted within the literature (1%–50%). There is extensive published guidance for the treatment of TMD in adults, however, there has been little discussion with regards to advised treatment of TMD in children. Methods The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the effectiveness of an oral splint for the treatment of muscular TMD in children and understand the significance of this treatment intervention in reducing pain. The PRISMA guidelines were followed and searches were undertaken of MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to identify randomised controlled trials with a primary outcome measure of pain reduction. The Cochrane tool to assess risk of bias on interventional studies was used. Results Twenty‐nine potentially relevant articles were identified. Two articles met the inclusion criteria. Of the two articles, the main threats to validity were performance bias and attrition bias. Key findings and future research considerations are discussed in this review. Conclusions There is insufficient reliable evidence for the use of an oral splint for the treatment of myofascial pain in children. The authors believe that this is the first systematic review on this topic; it highlights the need for further research in this area. The authors suggest the need for well‐conducted RCTs that focus on sample size, method of allocation and duration of follow up. Systematic review registration PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017080976.