This article calls into question a therapy concept that I have been implementing quite successfully in my orthodontic practice for decades. Of course, we know that craniomandibular dysfunction presents a very complex, multifactorial clinical picture. The causes can be manifold: arthropathies, myopathies, occlusopathies, and orthopedic dysfunction in the subcranial skeleton, as well as stress, bruxism, psychological factors and certain drugs. In any case, if there is a dyscongruence between temporomandibular joint function, muscle function and tooth position, improvement of the complaints can occur if it is possible to reposition the temporomandibular joints, the musculature and its accompanying tissues, in addition to the occlusion, to a functional harmony free of complaints. Splints are a viable diagnostic tool for this purpose, to temporarily decouple the occlusion and allow patients to find a joint- and muscle-guided position for the mandible. If it turns out that there is then an occlusal interference with the newly found position of the mandible, it is inevitably necessary for me to adjust the tooth position to this new position of the mandible. This is what the authors describe as a “2-phase concept”, which they question.
