Occlusal Splints for Painful Craniomandibular Dysfunction 2022

Although another book on craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) may seem unnecessary, no comprehensive work focusing specifically on occlusal splints has been published in recent years. Scientific advances in functional therapy—particularly splint therapy for painful CMD—have not been adequately translated into daily dental practice, largely due to delayed knowledge transfer, overreliance on personal experience, limited use of scientific literature, and poorly defined measures of treatment success.

Effective, evidence-based dentistry requires the balanced integration of three pillars: scientific evidence, clinical experience, and patient values. However, current educational models and clinical guidelines often fail to provide practical, applicable instructions for everyday practice, leading to misunderstandings between academic research and office-based dentistry.

In response to these shortcomings, this book adopts a pragmatic, practice-oriented approach. It prioritizes simple, evidence-based clinical instructions for diagnosing and treating painful CMD—particularly through affordable and efficient occlusal splint therapy—while providing detailed scientific background in a separate section. This structure allows clinicians to progress from immediate practical application to deeper theoretical understanding, ultimately improving patient care and treatment outcomes.