Comparative Evaluation of Acupuncture and Occlusal Splints as a Therapeutic Modality in Temporomandibular Joint Disorders – A Systematic Review

Background: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles, and associated structures, leading to pain, dysfunction, and reduced quality of life. Noninvasive treatments, such as physical therapy and splints, are commonly used but yield mixed outcomes. Acupuncture has gained attention for its potential to relieve pain and improve function in TMD. Objective: This systematic review evaluates the evidence on acupuncture’s effectiveness as a therapeutic option for TMD management. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. It has been prospectively registered with PROSPERO under the ID: CRD42024531121. Relevant studies were retrieved through an extensive search across five major electronic databases. Results: The search identified 14 articles from Web of Science, 9 from PubMed, 25 from Scopus, and 2,620 from Google Scholar. Following the application of eligibility criteria, 5 studies were selected for inclusion in the review. Among these, 4 studies reported that both occlusal splints and acupuncture were effective in improving mouth opening and reducing Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. Conclusion: Acupuncture can be used as a therapeutic modality in TMD – either alone or in combination with other modalities. Well-designed RCT’s with an adequate sample size and sufficiently long-term follow-up period are recommended to validate the effectiveness of acupuncture.