Efficacy of conservative approaches on pain relief in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders: a systematic review with network meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of conservative interventions in pain relief in patients with intracapsular temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched until January 1st, 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presenting patients with diagnosis of intracapsular TMD according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD), conservative approaches as interventions, and pain intensity as outcome. Results: Out of 3372 papers, 13 RCTs were included, with 844 study participants. Most of them (n = 7) investigated the efficacy of splint appliance. Meta-analysis revealed that rehabilitative interventions had a significant overall effect size of 0.75 [0.17, 1.34], reporting splint appliance and laser therapy as significantly effective treatments. Conclusion: Findings of this systematic review with network meta-analysis suggested that conservative approaches might be effective in pain relief of intracapsular TMD patients