A 34-year-old patient presented at a dental practice with feelings of tension and pain in the area of the masticatory muscles. After a detailed clinical examination, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) was diagnosed (pain in the masticatory muscles) and occlusal splint treatment was chosen to achieve rapid pain reduction. With the help of a digital workflow and the associated possibilities of a digital splint design and computer-aided manufacturing, an occlusal splint could be delivered to the patient in a time- and cost-efficient manner. Within only a few days of wearing the splint, the patient reported a significant reduction in symptoms, with the complete absence of symptoms after 7 days. The digital workflow presented here enabled timely, individualized, and targeted care of the patient.
Keywords: temporomandibular dysfunction, bruxism, digital splint design, 3D printing materials, digital dentistry, CAD/CAM design
