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A survey on German dentists regarding the management of craniomandibular disorders

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Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to identify the most frequent therapies and, in particular, the prescription patterns for occlusal splints for the management of craniomandibular disorders (CMDs) used by German general dentists and specialists. Additionally, the knowledge and opinion of the practising dentists were examined. All active members of the statutory dental insurance providers of the German North Rhine (n = 5,500) and the Westphalia-Lippe area (n = 4,984) were surveyed with a questionnaire by mail. Results indicated that occlusal splints were the first-choice therapy followed by physiotherapy and occlusal equilibration. In the preceding year, both general dentists and specialists made 30 occlusal splints on average. With regard to high-quality evidence-based recommendations, some statistically significant discrepancies between general dentists and specialists were detected. On the basis of the present data, it seems useful to consider intensifying the topic of CMDs and orofacial pain in future undergraduate dental curricula and in postgraduate training.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the statutory dental insurance providers of the German North Rhine and the Westphalia-Lippe area for their kind support dispatching of the questionnaires. Furthermore, we thank Ms D. Talbot, M.A. for her helpful comments on this paper.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Operative and Preventive Dentistry and Endodontics, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Michelle Alicia Ommerborn, Carolin Kollmann & Wolfgang Hans-Michael Raab

  2. Department of Cranio- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Jörg Handschel & Rita Antonia Depprich

  3. Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Hermann Lang

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  1. Michelle Alicia Ommerborn
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  2. Carolin Kollmann
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  3. Jörg Handschel
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  4. Rita Antonia Depprich
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  5. Hermann Lang
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  6. Wolfgang Hans-Michael Raab
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Correspondence to Michelle Alicia Ommerborn.

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Ommerborn, M.A., Kollmann, C., Handschel, J. et al. A survey on German dentists regarding the management of craniomandibular disorders. Clin Oral Invest 14, 137–144 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-009-0282-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-009-0282-4

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