TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) is most commonly seen in young and middle-aged adults with an average age range of 30–40 and has been reported to have a higher prevalence in women (21, 22). In this study, the average age of participants was 24.8 years, and 92.5% of participants were women. This finding confirms that female gender and age are key risk factors for TMD. It is thought that TMDs in women may be related to hormonal changes. It has been noted that the menstrual cycle can exacerbate pain and that estrogen may trigger inflammation in the TMJ (23–26). Additionally, a study by LeResche reported that 80% of female patients sought medical help for treatment (24). In this study, most of the patients presenting to our clinic with pain complaints were women, and out of the six patients excluded from the study for non-attendance at follow-up visits, four were males. This finding suggests that gender is an influential factor in patients' motivation to seek and continue treatment. We believe that female patients may experience higher motivation to participate in treatment due to the severity of their pain, which could be related to their hormonal status.
In this study, we used the 'Diagnostic Criteria for TMD' (27) for patient diagnosis. After completing the DC/TMD questionnaires, participants reported an increased awareness of TMD and were more motivated to participate in the treatment.
Occlusal splints are a widely accepted and well-known treatment for TMD due to their alleviating effects on TMD symptoms (28–31). In this study, all participants, being bruxists, used occlusal splints throughout the treatment period.
Previous studies (32, 33) have indicated that a rigid or soft appliance can be successfully used to alleviate muscle pain in TMD patients. However, the use of soft occlusal splints has been associated with minimal changes in occlusion (34, 35). Although soft splints are superior in terms of patient tolerance (32), rigid splints made from PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) have been noted as a more suitable option for bruxism patients and long-term treatment due to their superior wear resistance and surface hardness (36, 37). Considering the 3-month follow-up period for participants in this study, rigid occlusal splints were used throughout the follow-up period to ensure durability.
All participants in this study presented with severe pain complaints. Research indicates that 50–70% of individuals with TMD experience pain in the masticatory muscles, and in 25% of these patients, pain in the masticatory muscles originates in the muscles themselves (38). This pain is localized in the masticatory muscles, worsens with muscle palpation, and intensifies during functional activities (38–40). Repetitive loading or macro- or micro-trauma to the masticatory muscles leads to micro-lesions in the muscle fibers. This results in the release of local inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins, bradykinin, histamine, and substance P. These mediators can induce nociceptive afferent impulse transmission to the central nervous system, leading to peripheral and central sensitization (41). NSAIDs may alleviate pain by reducing peripheral sensitivity associated with a decrease in the release of inflammatory components in the masticatory muscles and TMJ (42). NSAIDs are also known to reduce pain and inflammation through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-1 and COX-2). COX-2 is important in the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is associated with joint pain (43). Given their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, NSAIDs are a reasonable choice for such pain. In this study, diclofenac sodium, frequently prescribed for TMD treatment, was administered to the control group.
While the etiology of TMD remains uncertain, it is widely known to be multifactorial, with functional, structural, and psychological factors and parafunctional habits contributing to its development (24, 44, 45). All participants in this study exhibited bruxism, supporting the idea that bruxism is an etiological factor in individuals with myofascial pain. Bruxism is commonly accepted to have a multifactorial etiology, and these factors may complicate the intervention aimed at addressing the etiology (46). It has been reported that individuals with sleep bruxism have statistically significantly higher anxiety and depression scores compared to those without sleep bruxism (47). Ahlberg et al. (48) demonstrated that individuals with severe anxiety are more likely to have sleep bruxism. Muscle tension is considered a common symptom of anxiety that increases pressure on the muscles and can lead to musculoskeletal symptoms such as pain over time (49, 50).
Recently, vitamin D has garnered significant attention due to observational studies showing relationships between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and individuals' psychological well-being (51). Previous studies have reported correlations between vitamin D deficiency, low dietary calcium intake, anxiety, depression, and musculoskeletal function (52–57).
Alkhatatbeh et al. showed in a case-control study that individuals with sleep bruxism had higher rates of anxiety and depression and significantly lower vitamin D levels (57). Allaf et al. found a significant relationship between bruxism and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, noticing that bruxism activity increases with vitamin D deficiency and is categorized into five different levels (58). The association between vitamin D deficiency and psychological symptoms, including anxiety that can lead to sleep bruxism, can be justified by vitamin D's role in maintaining mental health (52, 53, 59). Vitamin D exerts neuroprotective effects on neurotrophin production, neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of intracellular calcium levels, and reduction of oxidative damage in the central nervous system (60). Thus, low vitamin D levels may disrupt calcium homeostasis in the brain, affecting neuronal excitability (60) and potentially increasing the risk of psychiatric issues such as dementia, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression (61). Additionally, the traditional function of vitamin D is to maintain calcium homeostasis, so low vitamin D levels can lead to low serum calcium levels commonly referred to as hypocalcemia (62). Hypocalcemia directly affects neuromuscular function, potentially causing muscle spasms and cramps (63). Since sleep bruxism involves repeated hyperactivity of the jaw muscles, vitamin D deficiency, and associated hypocalcemia may contribute to the development of sleep bruxism through their effects on neuromuscular function. Aguilera et al. suggested that correcting magnesium and calcium deficiencies might be a potential treatment for sleep bruxism (64).
However, some researchers have proposed a hypothesis that sleep disorders have become epidemic due to vitamin D deficiency. The relationship between the brain's sleep-wake regulation areas and vitamin D target neurons in the diencephalon suggests that vitamin D may have direct effects on sleep (65).
In this study, there was no statistically significant difference between treatment groups in MCO values before treatment, after 1 week, after 1 month, and after 3 months of treatment. There were also no statistical differences in MUO values before treatment, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment. However, the 1-week post-treatment values for patients using diclofenac sodium were significantly lower compared to those using vitamin D. For MAO, there were no statistical differences between groups in pre-treatment and 3 months post-treatment values, but 1-week and 1-month post-treatment values were significantly lower in patients using diclofenac sodium compared to those using vitamin D. We believe that the effects of vitamin D on mouth opening may be due to its rapid entry into bloodstream, enhancing calcium absorption, and positively affecting musculoskeletal function.
Studies on the efficacy of NSAIDs for TMD have shown improvement in maximum mouth-opening values (66–68). Considering that mandibular movement restriction is often described in temporomandibular dysfunctions and is a clear cause of discomfort for patients, evaluating mouth opening becomes quite important. Both treatment groups had a similar effect on mouth-opening changes in the long term, which we attribute to the impact of prolonged use of the hard splint.
There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups in VAS scores before treatment, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment. Based on this result, we believe that vitamin D has similar effects on myofascial pain as diclofenac sodium. Diclofenac sodium is well known for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and its efficacy in TMD treatment (69, 70). Our results support the idea that vitamin D may have anti-inflammatory (71) and analgesic (72) effects.
Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of changes in pain-free maximum mouth opening, maximum unassisted mouth opening, and maximum assisted mouth opening. Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences in VAS change values between the study groups. This can be explained by the pain originating from tension in the masticatory muscles and the contribution of vitamin D to muscle relaxation through various mechanisms. Overall, changes in mouth-opening values and VAS scores were homogeneous across both groups.